Moondust
by IllusionaryWorld
Summary: Takes place after Puppeteer 2.0. Marinette struggles with the truth about Adrien loving another girl. She is entirely heartbroken, but she forces herself to move on. Luckily for her, there is another boy in her life that could help her with just that. Mature content: TW given in advance.
1. Prologue

_**Moondust**: Prologue_

_"I wish I were a little girl again because skinned knees are easier to fix than a broken heart."_

_-_Julia Roberts

* * *

**TW: Small talk of suicide**

* * *

_'__The girl I'm in love with__ doesn't like them either.'_

Mint green eyes stared back at her almost as if mocking her- when before those same eyes would look at her with adoration and love...at least to her imagination. And that was the problem, the major issue of all this; she was too caught up with her own fantasy to even realize what was truly happening. Why was she so stupid? Why did she ever convinced herself that there was a chance for her happy ending?

Childhood mentality didn't mix well with the harsh reality.

"Adrien is in love with another girl and me...I'm just a friend..."

Marinette somberly sighed as she averted her eyes from the image of her crush, feeling too shameful to give his picture a longer stare because she felt as though he was laughing at her. Things were going so well...that car ride home...they were being honest and open for once...but everything came crashing down whenever she heard those cursed words come out from his mouth.

_'__**The girl I'm in love with **__doesn't like them either.'_

Silly.

Out of all the other times she could've told him her honest feelings, that was the one time she felt like they were having an actual deep conversation and held the confidence she wanted to let him know every ounce of thoughts and emotions that ran through her raging soul.

But...that special moment was ruined.

The hand that had come up to grab onto the picture of her beloved model had slowly started to tear at the tape that kept it up and open for the world to see. There was no reason to keep her hopes and dreams alive to torment and taunt her for her failures. She had to get rid of everything that reminded her of Adrien.

All of it.

Just then, the crimson fairy like creature floated towards her owner, holding a bright smile as her large, deep blue eyes gleamed. If only she could reveal what she had discovered a while back about her caretaker's love interest, then the girl wouldn't be feeling so down. It did hurt the kwami to see Marinette in such a state, but she knew that if she kept her hopes up with positive feedback and perhaps some subtle hints, things will start looking bright for the cute, clumsy heroine.

"I'm sure life has many surprises in store for you, Marinette~" Tikki exclaimed, knowing full well that the blue haired girl will come back to her senses and return to her silly, love struck self.

. . .

**_RIPPPP._**

"M-Marinette? What are you doing?"

Oh no. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Marinette ignored the creature's statement and continued to take down the large picture of Paris' young model from her dashboard, still careful as to not tear his beautiful face. She didn't want to destroy him like how he had destroyed her heart for she still loved him dearly, but she wanted him out of her life.

At least for now.

Her broken heart needs a time out.

Ocean eyes scanned the picture one last time, making sure she soaked in every detail Adrien possessed and locked it up in her memory before she set it down on her bed and moved on towards the rest of her collection. Her tired, sad body moved like a zombie, completely weak and drained of all life.

"Don't do this, Marinette." Tikki followed behind, trying her best to reason with the human girl. Her biggest fear was Marinette falling into deep despair enough for Hawkmoth to possess her. "I'm sure things will get better in the future."

"No, Tikki," the girl replied as she took down three more photos. "I think it's time to give up on him. I need to stop being blinded by love and see what's right in front of me. If somehow he wants me more than a friend in the future, I might give him another chance. But for now...I can't."

She hesitantly went from wall to wall, removing each picture of Adrien while getting closer to crying each time. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had a feeling this would happen- her biggest fear of being rejected. But as long as she kept her feelings to herself, she would've been fine thus why she refused to confess whenever she had the chance to. Alya and the rest encouraged her to just let it all out and promised they'd be there if her blond crush crushed her; they always comforted her when she felt distressed, and she was eternally grateful to them. And at some point, she believed everything would be okay even if she did get rejected because her friends would be there.

Maybe they can repair her but not right now.

Not any time soon.

As the last photo was taken down, heartbroken tears finally found their way down her flushed cheeks and down to the pile of pictures laying on her bed. She had taken down every single image of Adrien in the past before but not with the intention of never seeing him again. At the sight of her large, atrocious collection before her created tendrils of sorrow to wrap around her delicate frame and squeeze the life source out of her. All the hard work and effort she had put on this one single boy...all of it was for nothing.

She was never one for suicidal tendencies but at that point, she felt incredibly depressed enough to allow the thought to cross her mind.

The red kwami couldn't do or say anything that could possibly change all of this around for the better. For once, she felt as though positive outcome wasn't going to fix this broken soul...and it scared her immensely. "Marinette..."

The blue haired girl bit her quivering lip as water blurred her vision although it was perhaps for the best, so she did not have to clearly see the face of the boy that consumed her life only to bring her down to hell. Thin arms reached around the pile and carried it towards a large chest inside her closet, one that she hadn't found a use for until now. She opened it, some photos fluttering down to the floor, and threw them inside. One hand raised up to wipe away tears while the other one picked up the fallen Adrien remains and shoved them inside the box with all the others.

. . .

'**_The girl I'm in love_ _with_** doesn't like them either.'

. . .

_Goodbye, Adrien._

Marinette closed the lid and pushed the chest towards the farthest section of her closet, a lone dark area where no light would be able to touch it unless she gave it permission. Her heart wanted to stare at the chest for a while but her head wanted her out of there, so she opted to listen to her head this time and removed herself from the closet, shutting it behind her. Her eyes were starting to swell up again so, before she had a major break down session, she threw herself into her bed and covered her entire body with her blanket.

"Tikki..." Her soft, fragile voice muffled through. "Don't worry about me...I'm not going to allow myself to get akumatized..."

And there was nothing more devastating to the kwami than hearing the sweet girl with a heart of gold trying her best to wail in silence.

* * *

OOC: Hello fellow lovelies~ ^^ Right off the bat, I'ma let ya'll know the ages of the characters just to clear some confusion from incoming chapters. Everyone is canon aged, meaning the teens are all below the age of 18. Yes, there will be some instances where adult subjects will be brought up but I will give a fair warning at the beginning of the chapter. Reminder that this is a highly mature story with mature topics, so if you are sensitive to that sort of stuff, then this story isn't for you. Other than that, if you're fine with it, then please enjoy ^^


	2. Chapter 1

_**Moondust:** Chapter 1_

_"I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light."_

-Helen Keller

* * *

**TW: Strong language**

* * *

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng."

A patch of reddish brown hair followed by a stunning body to perfectly match it, skin as colorful as the setting sun, strolled into a bakery well known for their pastries. It belonged to her best friend in fact, so it was quite often she would come around to visit. However, for the past week, her visits were rather degraded- not even the delicious smell of freshly baked bread could break the chain of thorns that hovered over the place.

Anyone who entered could feel the change of aura almost as if a cold front had permanently taken refuge there.

"Good afternoon, Alya."

One of the owners of the bakery, a short woman with dark blue hair as puffy as her bread and wearing classic Chinese attire came from underneath the front counter. She had been arranging her croissants when the girl arrived and much like all the others days she has visited, the woman felt a sense of relief. "Have you come to check up on Marinette?"

From the look of her dull eyes, one can tell she hasn't been feeling well.

Alya granted a small smile and a nod of support to the elder. She hasn't voiced this concern however, ever since she first started to come over every day after her best friend's absence from school, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng has been using the phrase 'check up on'- almost as if she was being labeled as a doctor or something. It bothered her in a sense as if the Dupain-Cheng family were expecting her to heal their daughter- which wasn't far from the truth- but the way they would phrase it sometimes made it seem like it was her responsibility to cure Marinette.

She was doing all she could to make her best friend feel better again.

"Yes, ma'am. Is she upstairs?"

"Yes." Sabine gestured towards the stairs, giving access to the rest of her home as her grey eyes urged the girl to immediately go up. "She should be in her room...as usual. But if you need anything or if she needs anything, please tell us."

Alya continued to nod and smile, trying to make sure she gave a humble, caring attitude to this poor, downbeat household. "Will do. Thank you, ma'am." With one wave, the girl made her way upstairs as she allowed for the woman to continue her work downstairs. She didn't see Mr. Dupain-Cheng anywhere, but hopefully he was out delivering or gathering needed supplies.

The sunset hair flowed behind her every step. Before, she would race upstairs and barge into Marinette's room, ready to do girl things together. But now with this incident, she was more careful with each noise that she would make, fearing it was too loud. The least she wanted was to startle her best friend, then again should she really be this paranoid? It wasn't as though Marinette was dying or anything...

Yeah...

**Knock, knock.**

Soft taps to the attic door to signal to the girl on the other side that she was here. "Marinette? It's me, Alya. You there?" Normally, it would take a few seconds to hear a response, so the girl waited until she heard that familiar voice call back.

"Come in."

With permission granted, Alya pushed open the door and poked her head in. She wasn't sure why, but she had to take a bit of time to scan the area for anything...suspicious? It was hard for her to explain why she was so cautious; she didn't really want to assume the worse, so she would just shake it off and enter the room as to not trigger something in her best friend...somehow.

"Wassup, girl. How're you doing?"

A dumb question, but she had to start somewhere. Plus it would remove a huge weight off her chest if she heard the answer she has been hoping to hear.

Alya caught sight of the blue haired girl laying on her bed in a fetal position, the same posture she would be in every time she came by to visit- it made her think Marinette never moved which was concerning in it of itself. She slowly made her way over to the bed, her eyes quickly looking around the empty walls that were once filled with pictures of the famous young model Adrien Agreste, the boy which one should not speak of when around this dejected girl.

The blue girl as blue as the sad waters gave a soft sigh as she forced herself to turn around for it was rude to not give eye contact to her best friend. For a very brief moment, there was a smile on her plump lips, but it quickly went away as it came- a smile that was casual between the two when Alya come to visit just to be courteous.

"Hey, Alya. Ahh...same old, I guess."

Alya sat down besides Marinette, a sad smile present. Despite being disappointed that the other wasn't giving a better response as she had hoped she would, the sunkissed girl nonetheless kept her head up high. "Aww. Sorry to hear that." She reached over to gently rub her best friend's shoulder; it was crucial that she showed as much support as possible. The very last thing anyone who deeply cared about Marinette wanted was for her to get akumatized.

* * *

Alya remembered that night almost a week ago around 4am when she was woken up by an overwhelming amount of phone calls from the blue haired girl. As any good friend would, she stayed up all night listening to Marinette bawl her poor, devastated heart out. It was a long night of tears and confusion for it was hard for Alya to even understand what her friend was trying to say between her sobs, but she knew right away that whatever happened wasn't good.

Adrien came clean about loving another girl...

Once she gathered all the pieces, there was nothing but an immense sense of fear and pain coursing through Alya's body. Fear was the priority emotion as she was heavily terrified of the idea of her best friend allowing her dark sentiments get the better of her, leading to the high possibility of an akuma possessing her. It was a disgusting feeling to be under the control of the awful villain behind all of Paris' misdoings- she knew it all too well -thus why she tried her damn hardest to keep Marinette as calm as possible and distract her from falling apart. She failed several times, she'll admit, yet it surprised her that her best friend was still here in one piece- not necessarily at her top best but here as herself nonetheless.

There was a small ray of hope- something to cling onto for dear life.

* * *

"That's fine. Tomorrow is a new day." One more pat on her best friend's shoulder before pulling away but remaining close. And almost as though someone snapped their fingers, Alya's mood changed immediately, her eyes gleaming behind her glasses and that smile widening itself to present bright teeth. "OMG, girl, you will not believe what happened today!"

_Fake it till you make it._

"Chloe and Lila had a feisty fight! Like it was an actual catfight too omg, it was insane! It was during chemistry class too, and they just started to randomly insult each other out of nowhere! As always, Chloe started it and Lila kept it going until they stopped for a bit, and we all thought that was it BUT nope! It only got better!"

The sunkissed girl reached into her pants' pocket to pull out her phone, turning it on and searched for the video of the exact incident she was talking about. "Girl, they were at each other's throats! Once Chloe had enough, she literally pounced on Lila like a tiger and began scratching all over her face! Hair pulling, spitting, slapping, just everything! See, I took the liberty to record it because it was just that good!"

At the mention of the fight, Marinette perked up, curious to what Alya was blabbering about. From lying down to sitting up with her knees tightly against her chest, the blue girl scooted closer to her best friend with eyes regaining back of bit of their shine. Alya showed immense excitement upon seeing her bestie present interest and allowed herself to rest besides Marinette, her phone exposed in order to watch the silly little fight.

_'You're such a fucking bitch!'_

_'Says the ugly cunt!'_

Laughter filled the room from both girls as they witnessed the insane recording, and for a moment it was as though beams of light were brightening up the dim room. Sadness faded away as happiness conquered- everything was going better than expected; there is still hope. There always was, it just needed a little push.

. . .

Unfortunately, it was all wiped away without a warning.

Halfway through the video, a stupidly recognizable blond boy appeared and grabbed a hold of Chloe who had been yanking at Lila's hair for the past two minutes. There was too much commotion coming from the entire class who had been watching the fight to understand exactly what Adrien was saying before leaving the screen with Chloe screeching behind.

Marinette didn't bother to watch the two blondies leave as her eyes had enough stinging at the mere sight of the boy that caused her to miss school for almost a week due to heartbreak. That gorgeous smile twisted itself back into a frown, her body language screaming she wanted to be left alone. She refused to look at her best friend as she felt the depression getting her into a chokehold. She absolutely hated drowning again just as she was out on the surface breathing.

Why did that boy had such a huge effect on her? It wasn't fair. It was so disgustingly unfair.

Alya followed along with the change of mood while turning off her phone and setting it aside, looking down to the ground as she sighed. How could she had forgotten Adrien was in the damn video? It had been her job to keep that boy away from Marinette until she was better, and she failed her miserably. All this guilt dragged her down like a weight crushing her chest, but she knew there was nothing she could do to erase what Marinette had seen.

If only she had the power to control time...

"Uhh...sorry about that..." the chestnut haired girl apologized, awkwardly playing with her thumbs and hoping her best friend would forgive her. She knew Marinette well enough to know she wasn't going to answer back which meant she was entirely upset, so the next course of action she could only do was move on as quickly as possible. "Yeah...umm...oh! That's right, I almost forgot."

360 no scope this shit. Even if she wasn't feeling it herself, she had to do it for her best friend of all time.

"The girls are gonna be having a sleepover at Juleka's place tomorrow night. We might actually be doing other stuff before the sleepover though since it is the weekend- maybe go out shopping, eat at a restaurant, go to the park, you know just anything we might feel like doing. And it'll be so awesome if you could join us, Marinette. We all miss you."

Alya reached once more towards the blue girl to caress her back in a loving manner, her voice now softening as if cooing. "What do you say? It'll just be us girls. We want to have fun with our favorite goofball."

Thoughts rushed to her head as she considered the following- was Marinette ready to face the world again? She had to be, right? She can't be mourning her entire life, and it was not fair for everyone who cared about her to remain locked up in her room. But...she was scared. What if something were to happen to trigger her again just like it did seconds ago? The least she wanted was to ruin everyone's day with her mood. Oh, but she craved going out with her friends again; she missed them a lot too and wanted to spend more time with them like before.

Sigh.

"I...don't know..."

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Alya refused to take 'I don't know' as an answer. "Listen, how about I give you the rest of the night to think about it, and you text me tomorrow if you wanna go. I'll come pick you up, and we'll go together to meet up with the others. Sounds good? Think about it, girl, we can go find you a cute dress tomorrow so you can flash that sexy body of yours~"

Marinette lifted her hung head just to give her best friend a look of someone who just wants to crawl into hole and die, but this time it was because Alya was dumb enough to say she has a _'sexy'_ body. No matter the situation, the sunkissed girl always found a way to turn things around for the better and, for that, the young baker girl was thankful. "Shut up."

Alya giggled and wrapped her arms around her tiny friend, squeezing her gently and nuzzling her soft cheeks. "You know it's true~ So yay or yay?"

"Ahhh...I'll think about it. I'll let you know once I made up my mind."

"You better or I'll come storming into your room and kidnap you."

"Oh no. Whatever will I do? Better call Chat Noir to come save me."

The chestnut girl released Marinette from her hold to boop her nose. "Not even Chat Noir can defeat me~ Although, now that you reminded me, I haven't had anything to add to my LadyBlog for a few days now. Ladybug hasn't been around to do her heroine stuff, and Chat Noir's been by himself. Makes me wonder if she's sick or maybe she's elsewhere saving other people?"

She's been hurting over a boy and neglecting her responsibilities. What an asshole.

Marinette sighed as she ran fingers through her bangs to adjust them. "I'm sure she has her reasons..."

"Been real quiet without her. But you're right. She'll come back." Alya stood up from the bed and gave herself a well deserved stretch. "Well, anyways, I would love to stay around, but I do have to look after my sisters. Parents are going out for their honeymoon, and Nora isn't around today to look after them. Bleh. Tomorrow she better have her schedule cleared out because I'm not going to miss out Juleka's sleepover especially not if you're joining. No fucking way."

The blue girl chuckled softly. "I haven't decided it, but I'll make sure to let you know. I promise."

"You think I won't kidnap you if you don't tell me?"

"I'm sure you're very much capable. That's why I'm going to tell you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

After exchanging 'goodbyes', Alya exited the room and left Marinette to herself yet again. Well, not entirely. The red kwami sprouted from her hiding spot and hovered close to her owner, feeling a sense of relief after eavesdropping. Her large bug like eyes glittered as a smile brighten up her small face. "A sleepover sounds like a lot of fun."

"It does..." The blue girl sighed as she laid herself back down on the bed, her ocean eyes looking up at the small spots covering her ceiling from the moonlight seeping through her window. "Maybe I should go. I do miss my friends..."

"I think it would be wise for you to go, Marinette. It's much better than staying here all by yourself."

"Ahhh...I'm just...I don't know why I'm scared. Did I actually get so messed up in the head because of what happened? My head doesn't stop telling me things I don't wanna hear..."

Tikki nuzzled her face against the girl's cheek. "Everyone has their own way of dealing with things. Your feelings are valid. But it is good to try and move on towards something better."

"You're right." Marinette reached over and carefully patted the small creature's head. "It has been almost a week since it happened...plus tomorrow I'm not gonna come in contact with 'him', so it should be fine, right? I have to learn how to interact with the world again...and quickly too because people are also depending on Ladybug to come back and help them...mostly Chat Noir...the poor guy..."

"Mhmm. I'm sure he misses Ladybug a whole bunch."

The girl smiled gently, her eyes gluing themselves to the spots on the ceiling like stars in the night sky. There was still that dread tugging at her, trying to keep her at bay, but she knew she had to beat it and take control of her life again. It's not the end of the world- it really isn't- so she had to face her fears, her insecurities, and her failures. She has to save herself from her own mind with the support she's been getting.

She's not alone.

Even if _he's_ not in the equation anymore, she can't be in a standstill.

This was her life, not _his._

. . .

**[Bestie]:** Hey...

**[Bestie]:** I'm going.


	3. Chapter 2

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 2_

_"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one."_

-C.S Lewis

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

"Marinette!"

Several arms found their way around the small frame that had been the topic of discussion between them for the past few days. Warmth surrounded them all in an embrace of love and support, everyone feeling more than content at having the newcomer back into the fray. The girl in question giggled and accepted all the affection as she too tried to give everyone the same amount.

"Hey, girls. It's nice to see you again."

Birds chirped in melody as the sun was high in the sky at the right temperature. There were clouds as puffy as cotton candy aligning the clear blue sky, and it felt as almost mother nature herself was thrilled to see one of human's birds leave her cage after a long while. The day was simply perfect that not even the malicious akuma that has been following around the blue haired girl ever since her downfall could get an inch close to her.

Fuck off, Hawkmoth.

The group released Marinette and chuckled afterwards, still feeling the adrenaline rush. Alya, who had been the bringer of the _miraculous_ girl, stepped up besides her best friend and smiled. "I did warn you about the attack before arriving. I was sure they were gonna trample you all over."

The blue haired girl giggled softly as she waved her hand in front of her face, dismissing the idea. "It's fine. I'm actually happy that you all missed me as much as I missed you. It's so nice to be out with you all again~"

A squeak escaped a blonde girl by the name of Rose as she hopped in place, her large eyes sparkling. "This day is going to be so much fun with you here, Marinette!"

"Totally." A girl with long black hair with violet tips named Juleka spoke up. "Actually, my mom told me before she left that she was going to be out of town for the day and half of tomorrow, so we literally have the whole day to ourselves. I thought she was just going to be out for a few hours but figures she's actually gonna be gone. You were smart to had come along, Marinette."

"What I told ya!" Alya gave a friendly punch to her best friend's arm, giving her a wink as a bonus. "Told ya you wouldn't regret coming along. You brought us fortune with your presence, much like a lucky charm~"

!?

God she hated whenever people made references to Ladybug...gives her mini heart attacks whenever it happens.

Marinette rubbed the back of her head as she laughed nervously. "Y-Y-Yeah...I, uh, guess so...? I-I mean, I wouldn't exactly say I'm, uh, a lucky charm but uh-"

"So what's the plan?" A roller blade wielder girl named Alix sucked on the end of a lollipop she had been busying her mouth on before spitting it out into a nearby trash bin. "The sleepover ain't until tonight, so what we gonna do until then?"

"Well, I promised my girl here that we would go out shopping and hopefully get her a nice dress for her to make all the guys swoon~" Alya cheekily gave an elbow tap at the blue girl's arms. "So we can do some shopping before maybe getting something to eat."

"Oh yeah, that's actually a good idea." A cute, chubby girl named Mylene with a wide variety of colors dyed on her golden dreads softly spoke, poking her collection of pins on her jacket. "I've been wanting to get more pins, so if no one minds, I wanna go to an arts and craft store."

"Then it's settled!" The seemingly leader of the group, Alya, theatrically raised her arm and pointed towards the deepest part of Paris where all of the stores were located. "Off we go to become poor!"

"Or, like, we can just window shop, that's cool too..." Juleka exclaimed with a not so enthusiastic look on her face which quickly turned into a cheerful one when Rose hooked her arm around hers.

"Alright! The last one to, uh, wherever is gonna get spanked!" Alix then sped away with her roller blades in high gear, making the rest of the girls laugh and run after her despite all of them knowing full well nothing can catch that speedy girl.

The only one who remained behind was Marinette as she took the time to look at her friends enjoying themselves. How could it have been that she abandoned them when they were her cure? At first, she was doubtful due to her weak heart being so broken- what a fool. It's like the saying goes, _'Bros before hoes'_ and, in this case, it sure as hell worked; she has never felt any better spending her time thinking about _'him'_ than doing dumb shit with her girls.

It's going to be okay.

With a deep breath of fresh air, she raised her head up high and allowed her beautiful smile to shine as she chased after the group. "Wait for me!"

* * *

"Alix, you're gonna end up being a delinquent if you keep this up."

After a long day of shopping, eating...and more shopping and more eating, the group made their way towards their final destination: Juleka's place. Each held a bag of goodies whether it be accessories, clothes, or leftovers as they lazily walked down the streets of Paris with the sun setting in the horizon, casting their shadows on the stoned walkway. The only one who still had quite the energy was the roller blade girl, more so after she had just successfully escaped the claws of the law.

"Heh, I might. Imagine all the good shit I'd be able to steal. If Paris keeps having these slow ass cops on patrol, I'd be unstoppable."

"Alix, no." They all said in unison.

"Alix, yes." She cheered herself on.

A burst of laughter bubbled around the group as they all reminisced about their fun filled day until the last bit of the sun hid itself right before the girls arrived at the houseboat in which Juleka lived in. They all carefully waltz in and were all starting to head towards the chambers until the said resident called out to them.

"Hold up, guys. We actually installed a cover thingy or something for the patio." Juleka reached over a control box and pressed a button, suddenly making a jarring noise as a dark hood eased itself up and over the entirety of the front deck. Everyone else stood in shock as it all happened but once the patio was completely covered, they cooed in amazement to the newest addition to the house. "Yeah, so like we can totally have our sleepover in the patio without being all cramped in my room and stuff. Plus we'll be safe from any outsiders, so yeah, have fun."

After that thrilling show, the girls all took their desired seats and got themselves ready for their anticipated sleepover. They all got comfortable in their pajamas and blankies and formed a circle among themselves while wondering what they were gonna do for the rest of the night.

"We're gonna play spin the bottle, duh." Alya said as she whipped out a random bottle from lord knows where and set it in the middle. "You all better play or else I'ma spit on your pretty faces."

"But what if we like to get spit at?" Alix asked with a snarky smirk.

"Bitch, shut the fuck up. We're playing."

The rest laughed as Alya spun the bottle. It took a mere few seconds before it came to a halt, the pointed end aiming directly at Rose who was more than excited to play the game. "Me! Me! It landed on me! What do I do?"

"Truths are fucking boring since we all know who's fucking who," The roller blade girl spoke once again. "Make them all do dares."

"That was exactly what I was thinking. And what do you mean _'them'_? Didn't I say we're _all_ playing?" The sunkissed girl shot friendly daggers towards Alix who just shrugged it off. "Alright, so all dares. Hmm...what should we make innocent Rose do?"

Not even a single exchange of words had to be done to know what was on everyone's mind. All eyes glued themselves on the goth looking girl who returned the looks with a confused one. "Uhh..."

"Rose, kiss Juleka."

Everyone waited eagerly for the long awaited kiss between the two most shipped people in the group. It was painfully obvious that the two had something for each other whether it be romantic or just as best friends, but the girls liked to tease them about their relationship being more. Of course, only Juleka would find discomfort from this while Rose went along with it, but it was all in good fun and no one would actually do anything to make them both uncomfortable.

Besides, it wasn't going to be the first time Rose would share a kiss with Juleka.

The blonde raised an eyebrow in confusion as the dare was far too easy, but she smiled at the thought nonetheless and leaned towards her best friend. Soft, pastel pink lips graced the now flushed cheek of the dark haired girl who was embarrassed and upset at the dumb dare the others made Rose do, her pout speaking numbers.

"Done!" Rose cheered, feeling proud of herself.

"Good job, Rose. That was perfect~" Alya mused as she noticed Juleka flip the bird towards her general direction, causing her and the rest to laugh. No one was really expecting anything more than a cheek kiss, but it was always better than nothing. "Alright then, we're done fluffing up Juleka's feathers. Who's gonna be the next one to suffer?"

The bottle was spun once more and before long, it landed straight at Marinette who had been quiet this whole time with the exception of the giggles she would voice out here and there. At the sight of the bottle pointing at her, she could only imagine the type of things Alya would make her do, and it only proved her worrying thoughts when she turned to look at her best friend's menacing face.

"I da-"

"No, _I'll_ give her a dare."

Juleka made her demand loud and clear as she was still sorta upset at Alya for doing what she did, and the least she wanted was for someone as good hearted as Marinette to go through something embarrassing like that- especially after the anguish the girl went through.

But also to get back at Alya and not let her have the first go.

"Marinette, I dare you to...umm...I dare you to...hmm..."

Well shit.

While Juleka pondered on what she's going to say as the rest gave her suggestions left and right, causing her to tell them all to shut up but never getting that exact thing, Marinette waited not so patiently for whatever punishment was going to bestow upon her. She nervously bit her lip and played with her fingers all while her ocean eyes went from one person to another. This was one reason why she wasn't too keen on sleepovers, more so when Alya's around since she always went overboard, but she did have a wonderful day, so whatever was going to happen to her tonight was going to be worth it.

"Am I intruding on something?"

Just then, a lower pitch voice engulfed all of the girls' own, bringing them to get quiet all at once as they all turned around to set their eyes on the man standing by the entryway with a bewildered look on his face. His blue tipped hair and his sky blue eyes seem to glow with the small stream of moonlight that touched him as he entered the scene.

Juleka gave an annoyed look towards her brother's direction. "I thought you were going to leave us alone, Luka."

"Yeah, I am. I just forgot my guitar case out here. Just gonna grab that and leave."

The dark haired girl rolled her eyes as she went back to think about what dare to give to Marinette, making the rest of the girls follow her lead and going back to spewing ideas at each other. The only one who kept her focus on Luka was the blue girl herself as she eyed him cross over to the other side of the patio to grab his guitar case and make his way back to the exit. Before he reached the entryway, he caught sight of Marinette and granted her a soft smile followed by a wave.

"Hey, Marinette."

Not prepared to have contact with the guitarist, the girl shyly waved back and said a mellow 'hi' in return, her cheeks filling up with blood. Once Luka left, Marinette remained looking at the door he had exited through with bashful eyes and while she thought no one else noticed the small exchange of communication, she was dead wrong because Alya was there and nothing could escape that girl.

"Juleka, I think I have the _perfect_ dare for you~"


	4. Chapter 3

_**Moondust:**_ _Chapter 3_

_"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."_

-Alexander Graham Bell

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

"What?!"

The entire group grew silent as Juleka nearly screamed at the top of her lungs after hearing the offer Alya just made to her. Even Marinette, who had been caught up staring after the sole man of the house as he left, snapped out of her delusion and jerked towards where all the commotion was coming from. At the mere sight of the goth girl looking as though she had just heard the most tragic story, the blue girl knew well enough that whatever had been discussed was not going to treat her well.

The one who presented the news, Alya, snickered and pulled Juleka closer to her as to keep her mischievous ideas between them. Despite everyone else looking at them and most likely wanting to know what all that was about, she refused to let them know until the verdict has been sealed. "Ya'll go back to talking. I need to have a little confab with miss goth here."

The sunkissed girl tugged at Juleka and dragged her away from the group. The rest were confused and wanted to know what was going on but knowing how Alya was, they could do nothing but do as she said. Marinette, however, was the only one left behind with no objective to accomplish as she didn't have the right to share her ideas on what dares she could or could not do. The poor girl had nothing to do but sit there with her nerves balling up inside her.

. . .

"Fuck Alya, please tell me I heard you wrong..." the goth girl huffed as she combed her bangs out of her face, only for them to fall back in place. "You want Marinette to what to who?"

"I want Marinette to kiss Luka~" Alya said nice and proud with no sign of hesitation. "Comprende?"

"No comprende. What the fuck, Alya. Marinette's a good girl, and Luka's my brother. Just that combo is...ughh...plus aren't we trying to make her feel better again? I don't think forcing her to kiss my brother is going to make her feel okay."

"That's where you're wrong." Alya's glasses almost seem to glow like those anime characters. "See, Luka is totally crazy for Marinette. Everyone knows that; you know that. And Marinette has a tiny crush on Luka. I know that because I'm her best friend and stuff like that doesn't slip by me. So what's better than to get those two to start something up? We are trying to help her forget about Adrien. Just throw her another guy for her to focus on and BAM."

Juleka sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't think that's how it works. I don't know, I feel like that's only gonna mess her up even more. What if she's not ready to move on?"

"She has to be, Juleka. She literally threw away all of her Adrien photos from her room and deleted any saved images from her phone. She needs another guy to interest her, someone who we know has a thing for her and who she has a thing for. It's perfect."

"Yeah but...hey why do I gotta listen to you? I specifically took the role of giving her the dare, so you wouldn't have to."

"Look, it's just gonna be a small kiss. I doubt it'll be anything more. It's not like she hasn't given anyone else a kiss. Once it's done and she says she hates it, then we won't do it again."

The goth girl gave the sunkissed girl a look of doubt but eventually gave a sigh of defeat. Alya was hard to persuade- she was always the winner when it came to debates. Everything about this screamed uncertainty, and there was nothing she could do or say that could turn all of this around in her favor. Maybe if Marinette wasn't in such a tight spot, then the dare would've been whatever but since that isn't the case, she was worried for her friend's mental health. "Fine. But if Marinette gets depressed again, it's gonna be your fault this time."

"I take full responsibility." As much as Alya was excited to help her best friend start a new chapter in her life, she knew the risks that came with it. She wasn't going to force Marinette to move on if she isn't ready, but she was going to gently push her towards another direction. The blue girl was too comfortable in her comfort zone and, while that was a good thing to do, it was also toxic especially when that zone held many qualities that only aided in her self destruction. She needed to get out of there, and Alya was willing to help her escape.

With one final exchange of words, the two girls made their way back to the group. Everyone else stopped their talking as soon as the duo returned, their eyes staring at them as they waited for answers...well almost everyone.

"Spill," Alix demanded.

Juleka exhaled a long breath, turned to give Alya one last defeated look, then looked at Marinette. God, why does she have to do this? She could very well ignore Alya and tell Marinette to do something else. It's not that hard... "Umm...Marinette...go kiss...my bro..."

Fuck.

. . .

"What?!"

The blue girl nearly got up from her seat, the shock being that extreme enough to bring a dead frog back to life. The rest of the girls gasped and mumbled among themselves while looking over at Marinette with curious eyes. Everyone could feel the tension, and it worried everyone even Alya who granted her best friend two thumbs up and a weak, encouraging smile.

"Yeah, that's what I said too," Juleka replied, shaking her head. "Marinette, it's fine if you don't want-"

"Go ahead, Marinette," Alya interrupted. "It's just one tiny kiss like the one Rose gave to Juleka. You can do it!"

"Okay cool guess I'll just kill myself. My opinions don't matter here." The blonde girl scooted closer to the goth girl after saying that and rested her head against her shoulder, comforting her.

And that was exactly what Marinette wanted at this very moment. She didn't want all her friends to eye her like she was a child scared of going to her first day of school. It made her feel more anxious than she already was; she didn't want to disappoint them by denying their request. But why should she do what they tell her to? It was just a dumb game- no one can force her to do something she didn't want to- but there goes her negative thoughts again reminding her that if she continued being a stuck up bitch, her friends will lose interest in her. She had to be fun for them or else they'll leave her. And right now, she desperately needed her friends to stay sane.

Her life was a total mess.

Marinette's quivering lip hid behind her teeth that bit into it as she muster the courage to stand up, her fragile body trembling. Her large, bluebell eyes averted themselves from the other's ongoing looks, stinging as she felt like crying but refusing to. It was just a game, girl, no need to get so worked up about it. Just a stupid game...

"Fuck you, Alya. This was your idea, huh?" Even though the words sounded like they were sharp, she allowed her soft voice to come out. To show she was merely teasing, she lifted her head back up and gave a pout towards her best friend, challenging eyes narrowed at her direction. "You're so mean."

Alya thought she really had messed up when she saw the blue girl presented a downbeat posture but when she heard that playful tone, her eyes sparked from behind her glasses. "I love you too~ Now, what're you waiting for? You gotta go find him."

"You're such a bully." Marinette faked a giggle. "Okay fine, I'll do it. B-but it's gonna be a small quick kiss."

"Mhmm. We believe you, that's why we're gonna go with you just to make sure~"

"H-Huh? N-no, please. I don't like it when people stare at me, especially not while I-I'm d-d-doing that..."

Alya stood up and made her way to her bestie, resting her hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry, girl. Just go kiss your Prince Charming~"

Marinette pouted once more and sighed, taking in a huge deep breath before turning over towards the exit. It took her a few seconds to control her legs and have them move but once one foot was in front of the other, she took off- clumsily but surely.

The rest of the boat house had been covered in a blanket of darkness, making it hard for the blue girl to navigate. Luckily for her, she has visited the place more than a few times to know where she was. She had to have a hand against a wall as she walked, however, for she knew just how prone she was to tripping over the most stupidest thing. It didn't took her long before she saw light leak out from a creak of a door followed by the faint sound of a guitar playing- indication that it was none other than Luka's room.

Marinette felt her nerves crawl back to engulf her very soul, but she has gotten this far; she can't turn around now even though she very much could and refuse to go through with the dare. Yet there was something that tugged her towards the man's room, maybe it was the sound of music that wonderfully echoed into the hallway she was in. She was curious to listen to what he was playing, so she cautiously continued to make her way towards the room until she was right outside the door that had been left opened a crack.

Ocean eyes peeked in and scanned the visible scene before her, which sadly wasn't enough to grant her access to catch sight of the guitarist. She could see his shadow, but she wanted to see more than just a dark figure dancing on the wall so, with a soft sigh, Marinette gently knocked on the door in hopes of attracting his attention.

"Luka...?"

Unfortunately, he didn't hear her the first or the second or the third time she called out his name; he must be really invested in his music. She felt bad for interrupting his concentration but, at this point, she wanted to at least spend a bit of time with him since she was genuinely interested in what he was playing- she was a big fan of his skills more so due to Kitty Section. It was just going to be a few seconds of listening then...her dare...and she'll leave him alone for the rest of the night.

It shouldn't be that hard...right?

She pressed her small hands against the cold frame of the door, pushing it open a bit more for her to slip her top half of her body in. "Luka?" At last, she was able to see him, his blue jacket flashing his back side towards her. The blue tips of his hair flapped along with the movements of his body as he continued to play his guitar, yet he still hadn't noticed her. It only made sense since his back was facing her and his music was louder than her voice, but now she felt even more nervous than before which caused her to back away and stand once more outside the door.

What was going on? It's not like she hasn't been in his room before or anything. What gives?

"Go!"

A sudden loud whisper startled Marinette, making her almost lose her balance. She quickly turned around towards the new voice, and her emotions only got worse when she spotted all of her friends hunched in a group. Of course, Alya wasn't lying about them going to 'check up' on her, but this was ridiculous.

The blue girl frowned and motioned towards the others to leave, frantically waving her hands in an attempt to get them to move. Of course, they didn't and only sign language back to her, telling her to go back in. They had a small, hand gesture argument outside the door, looking goofy as all hell, until Marinette decided to give up and just do the thing. Both of her exits were blocked by something though she figured that she would much rather be stuck in a dead end with Luka than with her friends all giving her googly eyes.

Sigh.

With a deep breath, Marinette forced herself to completely go inside, steadily and quietly as she still felt bad for intruding. Once inside, she remained standing near where the man had been sitting on his bed, her eyes soaking up every detail she could gather from him. One foot bashfully hid behind the other as her hands found their way behind her back, her face heating up slightly.

Even his backside was good looking.

"_And she said that together we could take on the world._"

Not expecting anything to come out from Luka's mouth, Marinette was taken aback when she suddenly heard him singing. She had never heard him sing before, let alone know he could even sing in the first place, so it was quite a surprise but a pleasant one at that. It only enticed her to move closer to him and listen to everything he had to offer.

"_And she told me that I'll never find another girl like her._

_And she said that together we could do anything._

_And she told me that she loves a boy who knows how to sing..._"

Almost instantaneous, Luka turned around to face her, his fingers continued to run through the strings to resume the music while his eyes graced her frame. A soft smile upon his lips that went on to sing the very last part of his lyrics.

"_...so I learned how to sing._"

* * *

OOC: My cliffhangers are the worse lolol. Anyway, the song that Luka is singing in this chapter is_** Boys That Sing by Viola Beach**_. Figure I let you guys know because idk -3- It's a good song, so it wouldn't hurt to check it out~

I also want to take the time to thank all the support I've been getting. It means a lot to me. ^^


	5. Chapter 4

_**Moondust**_: _Chapter 4_

_"She wasn't exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All she knew for sure was that right here and now, she was falling hard and she could only pray that he was feeling the same way."_

-Nicholas Sparks

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

Wow.

Marinette froze from both fear of having been caught and from amazement at how good Luka was at...well...everything. She felt her heart jump the moment he had turned around to look at her, her body rising in temperature likewise. She had transformed into a bundle of shyness and surely was going to stutter whatever words might find their way out of her mouth.

The man stopped playing and chuckled at the girl, feeling a wonderful sense of warmth at her presence. He hadn't known for how long she had been standing there, but at some point he did feel another aura around him thus why he suddenly began to sing. He had hoped it would've been Marinette despite knowing all the girls were out on the deck; just something in the back of his mind always wished for the blue girl to be near him whenever possible.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of having the princess visit the jester's room?" Luka asked as he set his guitar down besides him, finally now giving Marinette all the attention she required.

But of course, she was not ready for such attention.

Marinette blinked twice after realizing she had been staring for too long and looked bashfully away, twiddling her thumbs behind her back as she struggled to find the words to say. "Y-you're so fine...I-I mean! You're so good at, u-uh, playing with your hands...I-I mean the guitar and, uh, singing...I didn't know you could sing..."

Forgetting how to speak was her major weakness.

Luka chuckled whole heartedly at the girl's cute demeanor. "Thank you. I've been practicing for a while, so I hope I'm at least good. Just recently took on singing, so I might still be a big wonky in that department, but it's encouraging to hear such positive input. Thank you."

"Y-yeah. You're really good actually. I-It was nice to listen to you. I hope I can hear you sing to me again...I-I mean...it'd be nice to, umm, hear you play and sing again ummm...s-s-sorry for coming into your room without your permission! I-I didn't mean to!"

The man shook his head and patted the spot next to him, inviting her to come over and sit down. "I would love to play and sing to you more, Marinette. But honestly it's no problem. It's always a pleasure to have you around. Here, have a seat. I don't know for how long you've been standing there. I'm sorry for not noticing you earlier."

"I wasn't standing for too long..." The blue girl did as she was told and sat down next to the man, her flustered self not reducing in intensity. "I didn't want to bother you, so I sorta just invited myself in...sorry."

"No need to apologize, Marinette. Really. It's nice to have some company every once in a while. I guess I wasn't expecting anyone to come by since everyone is out on the patio, so you did caught me by surprise."

"Y-Yeah...I'm still super sorry..."

Luka gave a compassionate smile and a pat on the girl's head to try and soothe her worries. At the touch of her relaxing her raging nerves, he took his hand back as to not make Marinette uncomfortable. "How have you been? I've heard from Juleka that you were absent from school for a week. You doing okay?"

At the change of topic, the girl shook her head to clear her blank head and regain focus. Come on, girl. Don't melt into a puddle and act like a normal human being. "U-Umm...yeah I'm fine. I was just, uh, sick, but I'm feeling much better now."

"That's good to hear. We were both worried about you."

"Y-You were?"

Luka nodded as he reached over to his nightstand and picked up his phone, his gentle blue eyes resting on the girl. "Mhmm. I wanted to contact you somehow to make sure you were okay, but I ended up getting caught up in so many things that I didn't get the chance to. But next time, I'll text you and perhaps call you to check up on you. Would you mind me giving you my number?"

"U-Uh s-sure..." Marinette pulled out her phone, clumsily grabbing it and almost letting it fall to the floor. Luckily, Luka managed to reach for it just in time and granted her a smile, causing the girl to blush immensely out of embarrassment. Can she seriously stop being so damn clumsy for once? "Hehe...whoops."

"I feel you. I drop my phone far too many times, especially when I'm busy playing my guitar." The man showed his phone to the girl, flashing the cracked screen at her direction while giving her her phone back. "This is my third phone in a year, haha. I really need to stop trying to do so many things at once."

Marinette was shocked at how broken his phone was and was taken aback when he admitted dropping his phone enough times to have him have three phones in a year. It made her feel relieved to know that she wasn't the only one with the Broken Phone Syndrome.

"In any case, here's my number if you ever want to talk to me, and it'll also give me a chance to check up on you if you're not feeling well again."

"O-oh right."

The two exchanged numbers for a brief moment before they both set their phones down in sync, both knowing they had to be careful where they place their phones or else it'll just be another incident.

"This whole broken phone thing reminds me that I should probably put my guitar away." Luka chuckled as he did just that, turning away from the girl to grab onto his case and place his guitar inside.

All the while, Marinette looked at the man with dreamy eyes, wondering just how lucky she was to have met such an amazing person. However, all of her sweet thoughts of the blue prince in front of her were removed when she turned around to try and calm down her fangirlish nerves. Her eyes caught sight of the door that she left slightly opened only to feel a chill run down her spine.

Her friends were creepily looking at her, all waiting for her to do the dare she had been ordered to do.

The girl frowned in disbelief and shock as she tried to signal to the others to go away and leave her alone. But of course, they remained in their spots and hand gestured back to her to just go in for the kill. If it wasn't for them, Marinette wouldn't had remembered the reason why she was here in the first place. She was just starting to feel comfortable being alone with Luka and not being bothered by anything else...but _NO_.

Stupid dare.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she bit her lip and turned back over to the man who had been busy organizing the rest of his instrumental units. He wasn't paying attention to her, so it was her chance to give him a small, quick peck on the cheek and move on with her pathetic life. She had done it before, so she can do it again...right? For some strange reason, this time around it was more of a hassle than anything.

God, she felt her whole body sweat.

Marinette took in a deep breath, mumbled a soft 'Please forgive me', then launched forward to press her lips against his warm cheek. The kiss lasted a mere two seconds at most before she pulled away and stood up from the bed, feeling the intense mood of wanting to crawl up in a corner and die. "I-It was nice talking to, Luka, but I-I-I gotta go now, ahahaha..."

"Wait, Marinette!"

Before she could even take two steps, the man managed to grab onto her hand and kept her from moving further away. Obviously, the kiss couldn't be left unnoticed, so he had to react to it and let the girl know how he felt about it.

If only.

What he would do to take a whole day to express to her how much she means to him, to sing his feelings to her, to write her a melody. Unfortunately, timing wasn't on his side, at least not today, so the most he could do was stand and face her, both his hands now holding onto hers.

If only...

"I think I know a way for your friends to not bother you with dares ever again."

It felt like an eternity for Marinette to be standing there with their eyes staring at each other, their hands gently squeezing the others. She could feel as though their eyes were dancing with one another the more they remaining looking at each other, and it almost made her feel loopy in a sense, like she was stuck in a sudden trance. Her mind was a blur at that moment, not realizing that Luka knew the kiss had been a dare and had a suggestion on how to make her friends stop. She was too caught up in the moment of letting their eyes talk to each other to even notice what was happening.

"Trust me, okay?"

. . .

The world was but a dream, everything seemed so surreal and hypnotic. The senses were clouded by the sedatives of life that coursed through the veins. Bodies were relaxed and frantic all at once, canceling each other out to create a numb sensation. Surely it felt like a trip to Wonderland in that moment of judgement, but neither side was opposed to the reactions that lingered on their bodies.

Everything felt so...right.

. . .

At the feeling of her pressing back, Luka pulled away and remained standing in front of her, his hands not daring to let go of hers. He felt so empowered, like a whole new person, and he sure hoped that what he had just done wasn't going to come back and bite him. "Marinette..."

His lips, so soft and warm that they wrapped her own in an embrace. It had been so long and profound that it almost felt like a lifetime of being tied up in a blanket of love. All her worries seemed to had magically disappeared, and her heart felt as though it had been resurrected from the dead. Like a flower she was, once withered but now at full bloom all due to the ray of light and water the man had given her with just the touch of his lips.

_Her first, actual kiss_.

Ocean eyes glazed over to the icy blue ones above her, she had to blink to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Luka had pulled her in for a full on kiss and dragged her into a whole new world. Her very soul refused to work during the duration of lips on lips thus why her mind completely disintegrated at the moment he had leaned down to kiss her. There was no warning whatsoever that could've let her know this was going to happen, so what more could she do but accept it- and accept it she did.

She liked it too much, so much that she kissed back, only for the man to suddenly pull away and leave her dumbfounded in his hold.

_I want more..._

"Marinette...?"

At the sound of her name, the girl snapped back to reality, her whole body tensed and heated up like never before. Her anxiety was at an all time high, and she honestly felt like she was going to faint right then and there. Somehow, she didn't and remained standing there looking stupefied and lost. A soft, almost like whimper escaped her as she gave Luka puppy eyes, signaling him that she didn't know what to do and needed his assistance.

"Luka...I...uh..."

"Sorry. Was that too much? I just figured your friends would stop bothering you with stupid dares if I...ah never mind. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that..."

"No, Luka. I-It's fine. I really liked it...I-I mean, I, uh, appreciate you, umm, trying to help me. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Are you sure? The least I want to do is to hurt you."

One small hand slipped from the other's grip as it found its way up to the man's cheek, caressing it a tad. A genuine smile sprouted on the girl's full lips. "It's okay, Luka."

At the reassurance, Luka sighed in relief and returned the smile, his sole hand that had once been holding onto the hand on his face reached up and held it again. "Thank you, Marinette." He pulled down her hand in order for him to give it a kiss on the knuckles before setting it back down. He then gave his attention towards the door, shooting daggers at the onlookers that had been staring this whole time. "You guys got what you wanted. Now I don't want any of you bothering Marinette with dares like that again, got it?"

An eyebrow raised at the man suddenly not talking to her until she realized what was going on and quickly turned around at the very moment her friends skedaddled out of sight. Fuck, they saw everything and knowing how they were, surely they were gonna bombard her with questions later.

Luka shook his head and released his hold on Marinette, a fair amount of personal space between them now. "Hopefully they won't bother you. If they do, let me know. In the meantime, I guess you should head back. They might try to barge into my room if you stay here any longer."

Things were happening so fast for poor Marinette; she was unable to keep up with everything. But at the suggestion that the man made, she figured it was best for both of them at the moment. So with a nod and a shy smile, the girl backed away from Luka- not necessarily wanting to- and granted him a final wave. "O-okay. Talk to you later, Luka. Thank you for everything."

With that, Marinette exited the room and made sure to shut the door entirely behind her. Once outside, she rested her trembling body against the wall opposite of Luka's room and tried to calm herself down. Her once blank mind was now drenched in thoughts about Luka and the kiss he had been bold enough to had given her. She was not expecting it at all- not one tiny bit- oh but it had been such a wonderful experience, much how she had imagined her first kiss to be.

_"It won't be long before you get laid."_

But of course her own happiness had to be cock blocked by none other than her peeping friends that had been waiting for her in the hallway this entire time.

Marinette expressed her dissatisfaction by chasing after them, her flushed cheeks clear as day even in the midst of darkness much like her beating heart that jumped in joy with the slightest reminder of what happened back in the man's room.

And Luka remained there, alone once more as he looked on at his now shut door. He still held onto the possibility of the girl returning, but he knew he was only wishful thinking now. He shouldn't be greedy- he received the most amazing gift in the entire world and nothing could ever hope to come close to compare.

If only he allowed her to kiss him back...but maybe that was taking it too far.

He knew she was in love with _'him'_.

"Thank _you,_ Marinette."


	6. Chapter 5

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 5_

_"Sometimes life gives you a second chance, or even two! Not always, but sometimes. It's what you do with those second chances that counts."_

-Dave Wilson

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

"I fucked up big time."

A weary smile was upon plump lips, one that signified both happiness and agony. The blue girl lay spread out on her bed as she set her focus on random spots on her ceiling, while her brain cranked up the most notorious train of thought. At some point, she had hoped that what happened had just been a fever dream, and here she was awake after overcoming it.

But normally that would never be the reason; her life was just that screwed up.

"What do you mean, Marinette?" The crimson bug like creature then appeared before her human with a question mark over her head. "I think everything went really well."

"That's the problem." Marinette sat up and reached over for her phone, slightly checking to see messages from Alya before setting it back down. "It wasn't supposed to had gone too well."

* * *

The night prior, the blue girl had been spared from sharing details about the interaction she had with Luka to her friends, despite all the teasing they did to her. She pretended to go to sleep as to avoid answering embarrassing questions which surprisingly worked in her favor as everyone went to sleep shortly after. Once she figured everyone was knocked out cold, she remained there in her own sleeping bag and looked up to the dark overhead, wishing she could've seen the night sky and all of her beautiful stars.

She reminisced about that sole moment of being in the man's room, just him and her exchanging vocals even though she stuttered and made no sense. Yet he somehow knew what she was saying and welcomed every blubbering mess that exited her mouth. He listened, he spoke, he touched...

And he kissed.

Just at the remembrance of Luka's soft, warm lips on hers made the girl giggle to herself and squirm. She replayed that instance over and over again in her mind like a broken record and, the more she allowed her mind to run off, the more she grew to love those seconds that lasted almost an eternity to her.

If only they didn't have to stop.

But of course, it would all be too easy for her to just use the rest of the night to allow herself to come up with scenarios that would never happen between her and Luka. Perhaps she had made a sudden squeak that had been loud enough for her best friend to hear and stir her awake. And once Alya's awake, she wouldn't go back to sleep until she was fully convinced there was absolutely nothing going on with the blue girl.

So for hours did they stayed awake, Marinette feeling comfortable sharing her feelings with Alya who lay there and listened to every inch of heart that poured out from the sweet girl. The older girl teased her best friend as per usual but kept it to a minimum as she understood that this moment was super important to her best friend. She needed to give her time to dwell on the small dose of happiness she received after a whole week of being eaten by depression.

That night was surely one to remember.

* * *

Marinette groaned and rested herself back on her bed, getting slightly frustrated with herself for allowing her mind to wander back to yesterday and give her heart a running start. "And not only that, but Luka gave me a card for his, umm, performance later tonight before I left. 'It would be real nice if you could make it', he said. 'It would mean the world to me', he said. Ahhhh! Alya should know better than to make promises I don't know if I'll be able to keep."

* * *

"I know the time is a little late, so I understand if you can't make it. But if you do come, then it would make me incredibly happy."

Luka smiled down at the blue girl and handed her a card with the address and additional phone numbers that belonged to the club he attended during the nights.

Marinette stood there bashfully shocked at seeing the man she had kissed the night before stand right before her, inviting her to see him perform as though nothing had happened between them. She didn't understand how he could look at her without feeling disgust or resentment- not as though she was feeling like that with him but surely he must've felt something other than this...overwhelming happiness.

"U-Uhhh..."

"She'll totally be there!" Having Alya being the only girl left to walk her home after all the others had already made their way back ,only made things a whole lot more tensed. "Won't you, Marinette? Of course you will, now come on! Let's take you home, so you can get ready for the big night~"

And much like all the other times her best friend had to take the wheel because she was unable to, the blue girl was dragged out from the Couffaine's place and taken back to her house, much like a guide dog would to its blind owner.

* * *

The girl violently wiggled in her bed for a brief moment before she came to a stop, accepting her eternal defeat in life. A trembling hand grabbed her phone yet again and pulled it over her face to unlock her screen and check her contacts. Sure enough, the man's info had been saved as it should've since they did give each other their phone numbers.

"Why does he have to be so nice to me?"

Tikki remained confused as to why the girl was struggling with the obvious good things that had happened to her. Maybe she was missing something? "Because he genuinely cares about you? I don't think I quite understand why you're upset about all of this."

"I'm not ready for another heartbreak..." Marinette sat up and rested herself against the bed's headboard. Ocean eyes scanned her empty walls, the same ones that used to be covered in pictures of her past crush...or rather still current one because those feelings for that boy hasn't vanished yet. "I-I'm not saying that I, uh, have feelings towards Luka...or maybe I do...no, I couldn't...but possibly yes? Ahh...whatever I feel towards him, I'm scared that what happened with Adrien might happen with Luka and I...I don't think I'll be able to handle that...I'm still in recovery after all...ahh, why do I fall so easily?"

The little red creature gave a nod and hovered over to her human to nuzzle against her cheek. It still upset Tikki that she had to remain silent about the whole Adrien situation for she knew that with one simple detail, it can turn all of this around. But at the same time, perhaps this was a chance to allow Marinette to blossom and gain experience despite it being incredibly hard for her. "You have a huge heart and so much love to give, Marinette. That is something you should be proud of. Not many are like you which is why Luka finds you special. I'm sure that if you continue being a good friend to him, you'll get rewarded. Don't let your negative emotions get the better of you and keep doing what you do best: being Marinette. I mean, look at how far you've come. Not even Hawkmoth can find a way to akumatize you because you're just that strong."

The girl smiled gently at her little buddy and patted her head. "Only because I know I have a duty to do, but I guess you're right. I struggle so much in the love department that I just want to give up sometimes. All the love that I gave to him and yet-"

"Shh." Tikki used both her tiny hands to cover Marinette's lips. "Now it's not the time to be thinking about that. Right now you should be thinking about getting things ready for school tomorrow. Everything else will fall in place, you'll see."

Marinette's smile widen and pulled the red kwami into a hug, cupping her hands over the creature with extra care. "Thank you, Tikki. You really are the best."

Yeah...maybe things will get better from now on. It was only a matter of being patient and going along with the flow. Sometimes, she had to let the currents carry her towards another more calmer river instead of trying to fight back and go towards the treacherous whirlpool. She still wasn't properly prepared for the wars up ahead, but at the very least she knew she wasn't going to be alone.

She can do this.

* * *

Stirring from the left, stirring from the right, stirring from all over until the girl couldn't help herself but get up from her bed and sit at the edge. A full pout rested on her lips as she grumbled at the unbearable feeling of not being able to go to sleep. After a whole week of her doing nothing but sleep, the night she actually needed the sleep, she couldn't get any. It was infuriating to say the least; what was she going to do now?

Realizing her human had woken up out of the blue, Tikki flew near the girl and yawned as she rubbed her large eyes. "What is it, Marinette?"

"I can't sleep, Tikki. Ugh, just my luck. I'm either going to be super late for school tomorrow or I'm just going to completely miss it." Marinette groaned as she placed her palms over her eyes. "Ugh, I guess my nerves are real heavy tonight...I'm super anxious about going to school tomorrow...what if I'm not ready?"

The little creature shook her head. "Nonsense. I think you're ready enough to face whatever challenges may face you. You're able to save Paris from villains; getting through a day of school should be a piece of cake."

"Lately, I haven't been able to even save Paris, so I don't think that comparison fits this situation at the moment..." Marinette sighed and reached over for her phone, the bright light from the screen almost causing her eyes to water. As always, the last few messages were from Alya reminding her to go to sleep after going out to watch Luka perform and get ready for tomorrow. The girl promptly dismissed the messages, rolling her eyes as she did so, and went over to her social media to skim and find something to distract her. While she was busy doing that, something glimmering suddenly caught her attention

Bluebell eyes rested on the lonely white card laying on her nightstand, perfectly reflecting the moonlight that sprinkled over it. Something willed her to grab the card and examine it- those black letters almost shimmering with the natural lightening. The name of the club, the location, and the phone numbers...it almost felt as though they were prodding her to do just as Alya suggested her to do.

_But I have school tomorrow..._

. . .

"Tikki, we're going out tonight."

The crimson kwami blinked in disbelief after hearing those out-of-character words come out from the girl's mouth. "Hmm? Are you actually thinking of going out this late? It's 12am, and you have to wake up early."

"I know, but I'm so full of energy, so it won't matter if I stay here and do nothing all night. It'll be the same as if I went out and did something. Besides, I'm just thinking of checking this place out. Probably not gonna stay for long anyways. It'll give me something to do and perhaps spend some of this bottled up energy."

"I guess...but what will your parents think of you leaving this late?"

Marinette smirked at the creature before turning towards her bed and covered her pillows with her blankets, making it seem as though it was her sleeping underneath. "There you go. If they decide to come check up on me like they've been doing so lately, then they'll think it's me under the covers."

Tikki gave an unamused look. "Okay, but how are you going to leave through the front door without sounding the bakery's alarm system?"

"I'm not gonna leave through the front door as Marinette; I'll be leaving through the roof's hatch as Ladybug. Tikki, spots on!"

With the magic words being said, the transformation was set in motion and ultimately sprouted the red and black spotted heroine. She gave herself a few stretches after the metamorphosis to get herself accustomed back to the role as Ladybug- being absent from her job for a week made her feel rusty.

"Alright. I shouldn't be gone for long." Ladybug reached over for the card that would guide her to her destination and made her way to the roof's hatch, propping it open enough for her to slide right through without a problem. She fluttered down on the railing of her balcony with impeccable balance as she read over the card to follow through with the directions her head would prompt according to the address.

"Okay. Got it."

"Ladybug!"

Just as she threw her yo-yo over to a nearby building to swing her over and start her journey, the sudden call of her name startled her enough to recoil backwards, causing her yo-yo to react and whirl back to her. It almost hit her in the face but luckily she had been able to dodge it just in time and retract it back into its stable position.

The heroine turned to look around to find the source of the voice, and that was when she caught sight of the latex clad young man whom she had abandoned without a word of her absence. Her ocean eyes stared at him as though he had been a character ripped from a story and brought to life without a fair warning in advance.

She knew she was going to face him at some point but not this soon.

"Chat Noir..."


	7. Chapter 6

_**Moondust:**_ _Chapter 6_

_"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth."_

_-_Robert Southey

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

Bluebell eyes met with mint green ones, a traditional occurrence between the sun and the moon yet somehow, this time around, it felt more fanatical than usual. For the girl, it was the guilt of neglecting her partner for a week without a say, and the shame of having had done such a thing because of a boy she crushed on that weld itself upon her lenses. For the boy, it was the solace he finally gained after having had a whole week of dread and fear eat him from the inside out with the loss of his most beloved lady. With the two sides of the same coin connecting through the means of eye contact, it sparked a conversation that had long been overdue.

"My lady..." Upon hearing his name being summoned from the gracious lips of the spotted heroine, the black cat stationed himself on solid ground after having been balancing atop of his staff a few meters away. He wasted no time stumbling his way over to the girl and wrapping his arms tightly around her. He pulled her close to him and kept his hold on her strong for he feared this was just a dream or a hallucination, and the least he wanted was for his lady to disappear yet again. "God, I've missed you so much..."

It was only fair that this sort of reaction would've come from Chat Noir; Ladybug had been fully prepared for the secured grip. Not even a bit did she felt the need to back away or let him know she wanted her space- in fact, she welcomed the embrace by pressing herself against the boy and wrapping her arms around him likewise, her hands slightly pinning against his back to make the hug tighter.

And for a moment, the two superheroes held each other without another word, merely allowing themselves to enjoy the moment of peace that so gracefully engulfed them. The faint sounds of late night Paris hummed in the background while their hearts synced with one another to create a sole beat, one that became the loudest noise known to them. It was a heartfelt moment between them that neither party wanted it to stop.

Unfortunately, good things come to an end.

The two released each other at the same time, however their holds remained as the girl's hands gently rested on the cat's sides while the boy's hands hung onto the bug's shoulders. Their eyes met yet again and, this time, the tightrope of their connection kept steady and strong.

"My lady, you have no idea just how happy I am," Chat Noir was the first to speak, a relieved smile on his tired face. "I thought I wasn't going to see you again."

"Sorry about that," Ladybug replied, the look she gave him gentle and sincere. "I had personal things to deal with. Forgive me, I should've told you sooner. I shouldn't had left you like that."

"You're here now, nothing else matters." He pulled her for yet another hug though this time it lasted mere seconds before he let her go, now placing space between the two as a sign of respect. "It would've been nice to know where you were and what you were doing, so I didn't have to go day after day worrying my ass off about you. It was complete torture not knowing. I'll let it slide this one time because I'm so damn happy right now. But the next time you do this to me, I might have to get a kiss of recovery from you."

The girl gave a chuckle and slightly shrugged. "We'll see, kitty."

The black cat's white teeth gleamed upon his wide smile before reducing it into a concerned frown. "But I do hope everything is okay. A whole week of you taking care of personal stuff seems rather long."

"Everything is okay." At least for now. "It took a heavy toll on me, I won't lie, but I should be fine now. Maybe once I feel 100% comfortable, I'll share with you every detail. It only seems fair after ghosting you."

"And don't forget the kiss. You traumatized me."

"You're pushing your luck, Chat."

Chat Noir laughed, his bell jingly a joyful tone with every chuckle. God, he missed the girl, so much that he didn't realize a few tears escaped his eyes during his laugh- tears of overwhelming joy. Luckily, his mask was dark enough to block the droplets, so he didn't have to worry his lady with such trivial things. Although, he still wished he could just let everything he had bottled up inside out to her without boundaries.

But for now, this was enough.

For someone as observant as she was, Ladybug noted the water accumulating around the boy's eyes, and it only made her feel more upset than she already was. Sure, they may be tears of happiness but for them to come out during a moment like this made the girl realize just how much she meant to him. She knew the feeling all too well of missing someone enough to cry when they finally show up, and the least she wanted was to make someone feel that way despite the arguments of it being a good thing. Just seeing someone like Chat Noir cry over her made her heart both jump and break all at once, so did she actually mind knowing those tears were reserved for her?

Crying always had a negative connotation to her no matter the circumstances.

Mentally shaking off the thought that surely was going to expand itself into a much bigger train wreck, the girl decided to return back to the present and pretend as though she hadn't seen him shed those conflicting tears. "In any case, what do you think you're doing out this late at night, kitty? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, m'lady." Chat Noir rubbed his nose cheekily. "As for me, I've been taking late night strolls around town ever since you went missing. I did it so I could not think of the worst possible outcomes and also to perhaps find out somewhere. I couldn't really sleep thinking about the possibility of you being in trouble."

And there goes more reasons to make her feel like a complete dick.

"Oh..." Ladybug averted her eyes and gathered up a reserved pose to present under the spotlight she was placed in. "...I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for doing that to you, Chat. Just hearing you say things like that...makes me feel like an asshole..."

If there was anyone who knew how much the girl took things to heart, it was the black cat. And because he knew of such things, the least he wanted was to purposely make her feel at fault when, in actuality, it wasn't. Sure it would've been nice to know where she had gone and what she was doing but honestly, he wasn't her dad or anyone who had the utmost right to know her whereabouts. She was a mature young lady, and if she felt like she couldn't say certain things to him, then he had to trust her. Yeah, he hated secrets especially between the two, but what more could he do? Trust was important, and he was willing to keep it up if it meant cherishing her privacy.

At least he knew she was alright.

"Don't." The boy placed a hand on her shoulder again, giving her a squeeze of reassurance. "I'm a tiny bit upset to not had been told sooner about what you were doing, but I'm more happy to know that you're here and well. Like you said, once you're super comfortable telling me what happened, then I'll be here ready to listen. I trust you, Ladybug. I trust you more than anyone in this world."

Goddamn that boy and his smooth talk...he was just too...pure.

Giving a sigh, the girl gave a nod and granted the other a small, soft smile. "Thank you."

"Mhmm~ But now you gotta tell me why you're out this late. Perhaps you were longing for me to come sweep you off your feet~?"

Dumb but pure.

Ladybug playfully rolled her eyes as Chat Noir gave her a wink and a smirk. "As if. I was actually going to go visit a friend of mine. He invited me to watch a performance and...ah shit..." She then flipped her yo-yo to turn it into a screen and check the time, seeing it was already 30 minutes past midnight. "Ahhh, I hope I'm not late for it..."

"Visit a friend?" The boy cocked his head and gave a pout. "You didn't even wanna visit little ol' me?"

"Oh shut it. You already made me feel bad enough as it is." The girl gave him a small tap on his arm, causing the black cat to chuckle. "If I knew were you lived, then yeah I could go visit you but unfortunately that's not the case."

"Heh. Yeah, I know. Just teasing you~" Cat Noir then reached over and patted the dark blue head of his beloved heroine and gave her a loving smile. "Go on ahead. I don't want to make you late. But this does mean you owe me a date~"

Ladybug gave a smug look as she stood in a cocky stance to show off her status between the two- all high and mighty even though she considered them both equal. "Fine. I guess it's only fair. Just let me know when you wanna have it, and I'll arrange my schedule for it."

"Yeah I understand, I was just jok-wait...what? Are you serious?"

The girl giggled and booped the boy's nose as she twirled her yo-yo with her free hand to start her departure. The look he gave her, shocked and dumbfounded, only made it all worthwhile. "Get to planning, kitty. I wanna know as soon as possible." She threw her yo-yo towards the building she had earlier attempted to swing from and got herself ready to leap off.

Before she did, however, she stopped and turned to look back at her partner, those green eyes staring at her with the adoration she had gotten used to seeing from him. A strange, fuzzy feeling coursed through her veins, one she hadn't felt when being around the boy, and she could only point it to her guilt at abandoning him. He had waited for her and even went searching for her. Despite all the pain she made him go through, he still liked her and showed no sign of resentment.

Ha.

And she said she had the patience of an angel.

"Chat Noir."

"Yes, m'lady?"

"You're amazing."

With a wave and a bright smile, Ladybug launched herself off her balcony and swung her way out of sight. And though she had been hidden from view, she could still hear the black cat yell multiple times 'SHE SAID I'M AMAZING!' in the distance followed by screams of delight which, more or less, would potentially wake up a couple of dozing citizens. At his reaction, the girl merely giggled as she continued making her way over to the club she was supposed to have been at minutes ago.

_"Whooooohooooo~!"_

Silly kitty.

* * *

"Spots off."

Ladybug defused with the red kwami and once more became Marinette. Of course, considering how her identity had to be kept a secret, she de-transformed in an empty alley close to her destination. Tikki fluttered close to her human once free and gave her a wide, proud smile after partaking in the earlier back-to-back exchange between Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"What a coincidence it had been to meet up with Chat Noir. He really missed you a lot."

Marinette grinned and cupped her little bug friend to give her a small nuzzle. "It was nice to talk to him again. I feel bad for leaving him behind though."

"Don't be. He even said it himself. He wanted you to go see Luka."

At the sudden mention of Luka, the girl gasped and nearly jumped. She peeked over the alley to spot the exact building she had been told to go to just a few feet ahead. She noticed a few people walking in after being checked in by the bouncer, and that made her super nervous and retreated back into the dark alley, biting her lip.

"Of course you're supposed to be signed up to enter. It is a club after all. Was I supposed to had done something beforehand to have my name on the list? Forget that, am I even allowed to go in there in the first place? Aren't I a little under the age limit? Tikki, what am I supposed to do? What if I came all the way here for nothing and-"

"Why is it that when you're Ladybug you gain so much confidence, but when you're Marinette, you lose it all?" Tikki teased as she patted her human's cheek. "Don't worry, Marinette. I'm sure that Luka would've said something if you weren't allowed in or else he wouldn't had invited you. Just go up to the entrance and make your way inside."

Marinette gave a small pout at the tease her own kwami made to her, but she knew Tikki was right. It wouldn't have made sense for Luka to had invited her over if he knew there was no way she could get in. Why did she have to be such an anxious mess and make everything more complicated than it actually is?

"I've already made it this far...and this late, so I just gotta go for it." After the crimson creature flew into her purse to hide, the girl took in a deep breath, gave herself some mental warm ups as to not panic out of the blue, then walked out of the alley and towards the front entrance.

The words_ 'La Machine du Moulin Rouge'_ glowed a neon purple overhead between a nice vintage border. It illuminated the puddles in the street quite lovely and produced an intimidating shadow of the intimidating bouncer near the two, large tinted doors. The building itself appeared quite strange as it had a random pillar in the middle that looked like a tower from a fairy tale castle but aside from that, everything else seemed normal with the occasional posters that showed who was performing that night. Marinette did not have the time to check the said posters and see if she could find Luka in one of them because once her feet touched the red carpet laying on the floor that lead straight into the building, the bouncer jerked his attention to her and went right into action.

"Are you signed up?" he said with a booming voice that could make a baby cry.

Marinette was the baby, standing there in her small frame as the bouncer towered over her, his shadow engulfing her entirely. Her ocean eyes trembled when they made contact with the dark ones of the man, and her mouth wasn't any better with how dry it suddenly became. "U-Umm...I'm not...sure?"

"What's your name?"

"M-Marinette Dupain-Cheng..."

The large man grunted as he checked the tablet he held, swiping through what the girl believed was the list of people who were allowed in. The seconds that passed between them made Marinette grow more nervous, biting her lip once more. If her name wasn't in there- which honestly wouldn't be a surprise- she was just going to say goodbye and run off in embarrassment. She tried, so it wasn't her fault that she wasn't given access.

"I-It's fine, I'll just-"

"Alright. You're here. Signed up as a VIP."

The girl blinked in surprise upon hearing those words she hadn't expected to hear at all. She did hear that, right? She wasn't just imagining things...right?

"O-Oh...umm..."

"You have a reserved seat," the man continued to list off the things Marinette suddenly had the right to. "Once you go in, you'll make your way straight to the stage and there in the front, you'll see a table covered in a white cloth. It'll have a sign with your name on it, so you can't miss it."

Marinette was shocked beyond speech, almost frozen, but she snapped back into reality when the bouncer opened the door for her, the loud noises bottled inside seeping through the opening. Without wanting to make this large man upset at her incompetence at comprehending anything in life, she did as she was told with a weary smile and hastily walked through the door.

And just as she set foot inside, a blast of both noise and smell hit her hard like a slap to the face. It was almost as though she crossed over the looking glass and into a new dimension, everything that was presented to her was strange and alien.

_Welcome to La Machine du Moulin Rouge!_

* * *

OOC: The age of consent in France is 15. The age of drinking is 18. The age of attending clubs is 16. Just thought I'd let people know ^^


	8. Chapter 7

**_Moondust: _**_Chapter 7_

_"Life, he realize, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile."_

-Nicholas Sparks

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

Like a carnival in a box.

A dazed doll she appeared in the middle of this wild circus riddled with people of all shapes and sizes. Lights of all colors of the rainbow flashed from different directions and created unique textures on the walls, on the floor, and on the lively characters that were the inhabitants of such a place. The said people also wore glow sticks around their necks, wrists, and anywhere they could hang them on their person- the way that some moved around created a weird, blur effect with the neon colors surrounding them. To match the intensity of the lights, the sound was just as jarring as multiple wavelengths bounce off different locations. Some people were yelling at each other from one corner, some were singing along to whatever song was playing at the moment, and some were using items such as bottles and glasses to make sounds. But the main focus was the front center where the music was coming from, the loudest noise in the entire area.

Music...Luka...right.

A click in her head whizzed her back to reality, and she gained back control of her frozen body. Marinette stumbled her way through the crowd as best as she could without trampling over herself or anyone else but being the queen of clumsiness, that was near impossible. The blue girl would occasionally bump into someone and apologize shortly after only to end up doing the exact same thing a few seconds later- a never ending cycle. Considering how small she was in comparison with all of these larger people- mostly adults but she did spot a few teenagers in the mix- it had become a task to just get by without ending up on the floor.

Fortunately, luck was on her side, and the girl was able to make it to the area where tables were arranged beside the largely lit stage in the center. To her relief, the activity was more tranquil here with only people sitting at the tables moving around in their designated spots. No random characters were bouncing around like monkeys in the walkway, so it made it so much easier for her to walk and remain standing on her feet.

And a whole lot simpler for her to find her seat.

The lone, white cloth covered table stood, just as the bouncer said, right in the front and so near the stage. Marinette made her way over and checked the sign pasted on it to make sure her name was actually written on it and, sure enough, her name was written in big, bold cursive. It still caught her off guard that any of this was actually happening- perhaps she knocked out somewhere and was only dreaming this. But the atmosphere was too strong and heavy on her tiny frame for it to just be a dream.

She was here.

Marinette took a seat on the round table that solely belonged to her and took a moment to look around at all the other tables near her. They had more than one person sitting at them, adults with money to spare, and the observation made her feel a bit of a spoiled brat. She had just walked right in and paid nothing to be sitting at the spot she could only assume was the grand seat of the house. It all felt so wrong in so many ways, but she decided to just argue with herself about it than to make matters public.

When will she ever have another opportunity like this?

Turning her attention towards the stage that had one man and one woman each with guitars finishing up their song, the girl calmed her nerves and clapped at the two performers once they were done. She had been too busy trying to get in her seat to had paid attention to them, but she was certain they were good or else they wouldn't had been allowed to perform. However, as she saw the two make their way backstage, another worrying thought crossed her mind: what if Luka already performed, and she was here like a dumbass waiting on something that wasn't going to happen?

Fuck.

Anxious ocean eyes scanned the area once more in hopes of catching a glance of the blue tipped man in the audience. In the midst of her search, another man made it to the stage and spoke through a microphone, loud and eccentric. "A lovely performance by the amazing twin duet! I say, we've been having the best of the best coming out here and blowing our fucking minds. But what kind of people would we be if we leave the most anticipated band out of the equation? Back by popular demand, here are The Thespians!"

Screams filled the entire sector at all time high, but it did not distract Marinette in the slightest. She was more interested in finding Luka among the crowd instead of watching people she didn't even know. She bobbed her head side to side, trying her best to look past the people in her way but, unfortunately, she was too tiny compared to most of the guests. She could very well just stand up and search around herself, yet the thought of being trampled didn't sound pleasant.

Great. So here she was potentially wasting time. Stupid, she should've messaged Luka beforehand to see if he had already performed. Plus she had school tomorrow and all of this was for nothing, and she just snuck out for no reason and-

_"I fell straight_

_Into your arms_

_Like a drunk_

_Who's been on it_

_All morning_

_And the sun's up_

_And my head's fucked..."_

Wait...that voice...

Marinette jerked her head back to the stage, her bluebell eyes widening and her mouth hanging in awe. A few feet away from her were four men, each with their own instruments while only one had a mic. And that very same man with the mic held onto a signature guitar while blue streaks of his hair swayed along with the movements he was making as he played and sung all at once.

_"And immediately, I grabbed you_

_You go all red_

_Like the first time_

_I love it when you do that_

_Gotta love it when you do that..."_

Her body twisted itself back to seat correctly, her posture now facing the stage entirely. Her awestruck expression remained upon her delicate, sweet features as she soaked in everything that was going on, especially the details of the man that was presumably the leader of the band- upfront and center. His fingers gracefully slid across the guitar strings much like how he manipulated his own vocal strings to allow a flow of melodies to exit his mouth.

_"I remember when we_

_Swapped names, and I thought maybe_

_You'd stay and try to out drink me_

_Your friends all hate it..."_

The song had just started, but she could visibly see sweat already forming on the side of his neck and forehead as he went hard on his performance. The girl hadn't realized it before- or maybe she was dazed beyond comprehension- but the man had such a defined jawline from the angle she was looking at. It only made the man look much more handsome than he already was, causing her to stare harder and longer than normal.

_"But fuck it if they talk_

_Fuck it if they try and get to us_

_'Cause I'd rather go blind_

_Than let you down..."_

In the midst of her hypnosis, icy blue hues sparked an electric connection with her own as the man's eyes locked with the girl's, and the two clicked together like magnets. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like a millennium. Two souls intertwined and became one, the beat of their hearts pounding in sync along with the music. And for a moment, their harmonization felt like the kiss they shared the night before, so warm, so charismatic, so...right.

_"And if you wanna act more drunk than usual_

_To help you get away with more than_

_Rest on me_

_Honey, that's alright..."_

Marinette made it.

She made it to his performance.

_"Our cocoon_

_Round your shoulders_

_And I'm good_

_Yeah, that's good."_

* * *

OOC: Sorry for it being a short chapter. ^^; But I wanted to pace the story, so it's not all over the place in just one chapter.

In any case, the song that Luka is singing in this chapter is **Cocoon by Catfish and the Bottlemen**. It's an amazing song, so I highly recommend you guys to check it out and get a feel of what type of music Luka is into ^^


	9. Chapter 8

**_Moondust_**: _Chapter 8_

_"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."_

-Robert A. Heinlein

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

For a moment, she could hear ringing in her ears: The Deafening Effect.

Marinette sat at her designed table, quiet and still while the environment around her was like a bunch of fireworks had been popped inside and were flying all over the place. Bouncing off the walls these people were after they witnessed the amazing performance done by The Thespians who only did three songs in total- the girl could only imagine just how much more crazy the audience would've been if they decided to have done more. She didn't blame them though, not one bit. The band did a wonderful job and even kept her at the edge of her seat.

Only Jagged Stone and Kitty Section had been able to cause such a reaction out of her.

And of course, out of these three artists, two of them had one thing in common that made the exhilaration more intense.

"Hey."

The girl looked up towards the man with blue streaks on his hair to match his lovely blue eyes making his way to her. A bashful smile touched her lips as she returned the greeting with a wave to accompany it. Luka returned the favor and wipe his forehead with the back of his arm, signaling that there was still sweat pampering his skin even after minutes of having been done with performing.

"Whoa, heh. This place is a bit wild, don't you think?" the man said as he waved towards a group of people that called out his name and began to snap pictures of him. "How about we go to someplace a bit more private?"

He presented his hand over to Marinette whom took a hold of it and was gently dragged away from the table and towards a staircase she hadn't even noticed existed.

The two climbed one set,

-two sets,

-three sets of stairs until they reached a section of the club where only a few people were chilling around, mostly teenagers that were more responsible at not going overboard with the partying. The area had a bar, however, but no one seemed to be drinking anything and instead were sitting around in nice, expensive looking couches while watching television or playing games on the large screen. The atmosphere was the complete opposite of the one downstairs, but it was a nice change of pace and totally perfect for the anxiety riddled girl.

"Bartender, can I have a Perrier and Juice? The Pineapple and Mango one?"

Luka lead Marinette over to the bar where they took their preferred seats next to each other. The bartender of the place had heard the order from the new customer and gave a nod towards his direction before turning over to the girl and waited for her order. Unlike the man, the girl didn't had the thought of drinking something, especially not from a bar, but after hearing that Luka ordered a non-alcoholic drink and putting two-and-two together that her body needed some liquid after a long night, she gathered the courage to say the first beverage that came into her mind.

"U-Umm...milk?"

The bartender raised an eyebrow but said enough and went along to gathering the required drinks, leaving the two blue heads alone. Luka looked at Marinette with soft eyes and chuckled at her stupidly adorable self while the girl giggled nervously back.

"This place is a whole lot better," he hummed. "Quiet and calm. Downstairs can be a little too much, especially for first timers. I hope it wasn't too panic inducing for you."

Marinette let out a breath, almost as if she was relieved that the man cared about her well being. "I'll admit it was kinda crazy, but I managed. I'm just glad I was able to make it in time."

Luka's bright smile conquered his face once more, those icy blues gleaming like crystal shards. "You have no idea just how happy I am to see you here, Marinette. I was for sure you wouldn't be able to come knowing how you have school tomorrow and, well, didn't think your parents would agree to let you go out so late even if you didn't."

"Yeah...umm...about that..."

"Wait, don't tell me..." Just then, the bartender arrived and placed their drinks before their rightful owner before leaving once more to attend to a newcomer on the other side. Luka's slender callus fingers wrapped around the cool glass, resuming his earlier thought. "...did you sneak out?"

The girl skittishly grabbed a hold of her glass of milk with both hands and granted the man a smile that matched her jittering. "A-a magician never reveals her secrets...?"

Silence flooded the two individuals for a short while before Luka broke it with laughter that could make the angels laugh along. "Marinette, you're too cute!" He raised his glass and took a rather large sip. "Never figured you'd do something so naughty like that. But don't worry, I promise I won't tell~"

The sudden laugh startled the girl for a tad before she sat there with flushed cheeks after hearing him call her 'cute' and teased her for being 'naughty'. She followed his lead and took a tiny sample of her cold milk, hanging her head slightly in embarrassment. "I-I...umm...wasn't sure whether I was going to, uh, come until later when I found out I couldn't sleep...s-so I thought of passing by and, umm, see you perform. It was so last minute and, honestly, if I had been a few minutes late, I would've missed seeing you a-and, well, the whole sneaking out would've been a huge waste."

"I'm just happy you even considered thinking about coming to see me." The man reached over to pat her gently on her head, making the girl twitch slightly. "Out of all the other things you could've done, and instead you chose to sneak out, risked the possibility of getting caught, and came all the way over here just to see me. Does it make me a bad person to say that I'm glad that you did?"

Marinette slowly turned to look at Luka who held onto a genuine appearance on his face- those blue eyes sparkling in the lightening and that smile as soft as a blanket. A sense of security wrapped around her every time she spoke with the man; she wondered if there was anyone else who truly made her feel as safe as Luka did. "No, of course not." And as brainless since those words slipped out her mouth without her consent.

The man chuckled and gave the girl one last pat before letting her go and took another sip. "I'm gonna have to take you back home and at least make sure you get there safely. It's really late, and I wouldn't want you to have any trouble getting back."

"Thank you."

Luka gave a nod then decided to change the topic, transforming his usual cool demeanor into a shy one, and it sure was one that Marinette had never seen before. "So, uh, anyways...what did you think about the performance?" His fingers tapped the wooden counter, impatiently waiting for whatever response the girl was going to give to him. "I know it's completely different from what I do in Kitty Section, but it's something new that I've been wanting to try out and, well, to be honest, I was hesitant to let you know about it."

This change of attitude took Marinette aback, bluebell eyes widening a tad at the sight of the timid man before her. A wave of relief splashed over her upon knowing that she wasn't the only one who could feel shyness- although she wondered why Luka would ever feel bashful, especially around her. Unless...

No, stop. Focus.

"I had such a blast watching you perform," the girl reassured, taking another drink. "I always knew you had amazing talent, Luka, and you only proved it tenfold tonight. Honestly, I don't think there are enough adjectives to describe just how incredible you were on that stage. I was in awe the entire time, and I'll admit that I wanted to see more."

If Luka's expression had been joyful before, then it was nothing in comparison to what it turned into after hearing those magical words- radiant enough to make the sun herself jealous.

"You're too good to me, Marinette. Thank you so much." His free hand, the one chilling on the counter, made a strange twitch almost as if he wanted to move his hand over to the girl's own and hold it, but he stopped himself at the last second after realizing that maybe that was a little too much. Instead, he kept his jaunty smile and hoped it could translate enough to perfectly express his adoration for her. "Your words mean so much to me. Thank you for always supporting me."

How could she keep a straight face when this man gave her that look of sincerity?

Marinette felt water suddenly layer her eyes, not knowing why but perhaps because she was tired, and she rubbed her eyes as to not let any tears fall in case they were planning to do so. "Of course, I'm going to support you, Luka. If it's your passion to play other types of music and add singing to your planner, then continue doing it. I'll be here cheering you all the way. I want you to be happy chasing your dreams. And if you're happy, then I'm happy too. Seeing you smile is like a blessing."

Okay, so maybe she was a little more than just tired. Her sentiments flowed freely out of her like a river with no dam, an early sign of her exhaustion. It was almost as though she drank alcohol herself but, in this case, it was milk- her own version of a tranquil medication. Then again, what was wrong with the things she was saying? She was just being honest and open...but maybe a little too oepn. She didn't want to creep him out or anything. She understood her emotions could get the better of her and lead her to say or do things that she would later regret much like with Adri-

. . .

Don't.

. . .

"Like I don't know who wouldn't want you to be happy. You're an amazing person who can do amazing things. Someone out there is willing to set their own feelings and goals aside just to make sure you're succeeding in life and, most importantly, are happy. Even if I have to give up Kitty Section for you to make The Thespians spark, then I'll do it because it'll make you happy. Can't you understand that all I wanna do is make you happy? Like I don't get why you-"

"Marinette."

At the sound of her name, the girl managed to shut her own running mouth and shake herself awake, coming to a realization that she had allowed herself to blabber on and on with an almost empty tank. Her eyes caught sight of the man who gave her a delicate grin and immediately covered her mouth to prevent her from saying another stupid word.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Did I say too much? I'm sorry. I must be-"

"-a little tired." Luka finished her sentence, giving a soft sigh but keeping his tender smile. He stood up from his seat and reached down into the pockets of his jeans to pull out enough money to pay for both their drinks. He then lend his hand to the girl and waited patiently for her to take it. "It is pretty late. Already past 3am. We should get you home."

Her face was both too hot and too cold, was that even possible? She felt embarrassed beyond measure. She could only remember a few of the things she told him and some of those things came out with the influence of Adrien whom had invaded her mind in the midst of it all. Not only did her sentiments about Luka sprouted but also her feelings for Adrien. Everything got mixed and combined into one big mistake that she gave permission to flourish.

What does Luka think of her now?

Probably some stupid fucking disgrace.

Without saying another word, Marinette bowed her head in shame and grabbed onto the man's hand, allowing him to lead her down the stairs and out of the club towards a parking lot where he helped her get inside a black car before they drove off into the quiet city of Paris. All through the ride, the two remained silent, both taking time to think about thoughts and emotions and questions and concerns. While one was busy looking at the road and trying not to let his thoughts falter him, the other was dozing off in her seat with those earlier tears starting to show signs of wanting to fall.

Only one managed to escape.

It took a mere eight minutes to reach the bakery in which the girl resided, the black car parked carefully and as quietly as it could in front of the building. For a moment, no one said a word or even moved, it was just the humming of the car that surrounded them. Luka turned to look over at the girl he was deeply in love with and never in his life did he ever felt the need to hold her and never let her go than at that exact moment. She looked so helpless sitting in the passenger seat and while others would say it was because she was tired, he knew better.

Something was bothering her.

He sensed something had been going on with Marinette ever since Juleka told him she had been absent from school for a week. Despite not going to the school where the girl attended, just from the things his sister would tell him helped him put the pieces together and figure out that, while Marinette was normally a tardy person, she didn't miss class as much as a week. She said she had been sick which was more than reasonable, but something in his gut told him there was something else that played with her heartstrings improperly.

Those things she said back at the club...

He could read her emotions like they were music notes: some were high pitched while some were low. Those high pitched ones were her genuine feelings towards him and his happiness- she always showed interest in his passions and supported him accordingly. She cared enough about him to want him to be happy, that much was understandable. But those low pitched notes...they were sour, hurt, and sorrowful. Presenting the idea of letting go of Kitty Section, a band she made with some of her friends from school, seemed entirely out of character. He knew how much effort she put in her little band, how much it made her happy, so it was unlike her to just drop it and say she would instead focus on his band if it made him happy.

It wasn't just her fatigue that was talking for her.

It was also her despair.

But about what?

Luka released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in and carefully reached over to run a single finger across the girl's cheek, unknowingly catching the lone tear that had tainted her fair skin. "Marinette, you know that I want nothing more than your happiness."

He paused but nothing came out of her.

"I would never let go of Kitty Section. It is just as important and special as The Thespians. I enjoy playing music with you and all the others. It's one of my most favorite pastimes whenever we get the chance. I would never want you to abandon it because I know how much it matters to you."

A slight stir from the girl made the man stop and examine her within the darkness of his car. She turned to face him, those blue eyes a mixture of pain and relief. It killed him to not know what was wrong with her, but he didn't want to force it out of her; he'd wait until she was ready.

"I know," Marinette whispered, one hand reaching up to touch the finger that caressed her cheek. "Please don't mind what I said back there. I'm...just tired. It's been a long day."

She was dismissing his advances- a clear sign he should drop it.

For now.

"Alright." Luka took back his finger, however, his hand was instead caught by the smaller ones of the girl, feeling a gentle squeeze.

"Luka, I really do care about you. I want you to be happy. You should know that you'll always have my support." It was a statement Marinette had to make sure the man knew- the only things that he should care about among all of her webs tangling themselves tighter around her. "Never forget that. Please."

"I'll always hold that close to my heart." He returned the squeeze and for a moment, he felt the urge to throw his arms around her again. God, he desperately wanted to give her everything she deserved. "The same goes for me. I..."

_Love you._

"...care so much about you."

Too soon.

Marinette smiled softly and leaned forward to plant a sweet kiss upon the man's cheek, one that he hadn't expected at all. "Thank you." She let go of his hand and opened the car's door to allow herself out. Before she closed it, she turned back around and gave a small wave to Luka. "Thank you for inviting me. I had so much fun. Also thank you for bringing me back home. Talk to you later?"

Like a child after knowing he would receive a lifetime supply of his favorite candy, Luka internally fell apart due to an overwhelming amount of love he had for this girl, but he kept his outside appearance as calm as possible. "Thank you for coming. And yes, I would love to talk to you later."

The girl gave one last smile before she shut the door behind her, turning to face the closed bakery in front of her. Just then, a new swirl of thought banged her head as she realized that she was able to leave the bakery through the roof, not the front door. She couldn't very well waltz right in considering it was locked from the inside, and she couldn't transform into Ladybug with Luka around. Guess she'll have to pretend to go inside through a side door that leads into a storage room on the side of the building. At least that was always open...for some reason.

"Marinette, wait!"

The girl jumped a bit at the call of her name and whirled herself back to the car still parked, her eyes watching the passenger's window slide down to reveal Luka peeking from the other side. She leaned down to be able to see him properly and waited to hear what he had to say. "Yes?"

"Just wanted to take another look at you."

That sentence alone caused a whole wave of emotions to bounce off her insides, more than she already had but at least this time, they were the good kind. Not wanting to delay herself and the man any longer, Marinette simply gave a shy giggle and waved back once more to the driver. "Have a goodnight, Luka."

"You too, Marinette."

After the final exchange, the girl made her way into the side door and prompted it open enough for her to quietly slide in. She waited behind the door to hear the car drive away and once she could no longer hear the engine, she collapsed on the floor with a love struck expression on her face and gave out a longingly sigh. At that moment, Tikki flew out of the purse she had been hiding in all this time and looked at her owner with a content face.

"Well, that was a fun night. Had its ups and downs but fun nonetheless."

"It sure was..." Marinette replied with her hands up to her chest. "...also ruined it with my big fat mouth, but everything was just...perfect. He's too good to me, Tikki. What did I do to deserve such a good guy?"

"Hehe~ By being yourself, silly. You're the greatest girl to exist."

"That's quite a bold title to give to me, don't you think?" The girl poked the creature which caused her to giggle. "Ahh, but for now gotta get some sleep...or whatever I can get before school tomorrow...err, today."

After that adrenaline rush she received from the man that suddenly conquered her mind and pushed all of those worrying thoughts away, getting some proper sleep was probably going to be a tougher task than she anticipated.


	10. Chapter 9

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 9_

_"Saw a little girl touch a big bug and shout, 'I conquered my fear! Yes!' and calmly walked away. I was inspired."_

-Nathan Fillion

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

**BEEP BEEP BEEP**

The irritating sound of an alarm blared through the once quiet room, startling the poor individual that had been sleeping soundly on her bed. The sudden noise had been so terrorizing that it nearly brought the girl to fall but, luckily, she had the quick reflexes to counter gravity and keep her on top of her bed. A hand reached over to where her phone was blasting the jarring sound from and turned it off, while the other did its best to carry the rest of her lazy body. Her brain was far too drowsy to allow her to order the rest of her functioning systems to cooperate, so there she remained with a half awake body trying its hardest not to fall back on the soft mattress- less she'll want to go back to sleep.

Which honestly didn't sound like a bad idea.

"I forgot just how gruesome that alarm can be." An agitated but gentle voice made itself present once the loud sound had been cut short. The red kwami yawned as she made way out of her usual sleeping spot and floated beside her human, the two matching perfectly with their tired, grumpy expressions.

"Remind me...to change that damn thing to something less...deafening." Marinette groaned and forced herself to stand up, her thin arms lifting up to stretch up, down, and all around. Once she was sure her body was up to par- or at least to some extent-, she gave the little creature a light pat before making her way back to the nightstand where her phone rested to check any messages she might've gotten through the night. "You know, I'm surprised that I actually woke up ear-ahhh!"

Too many scares were given in a matter of three minutes.

The girl threw her phone onto the bed and whirled herself over to her closet to gather her clothes, rushing on pushing fabrics away in order to find the right ones. Tikki questionably looked over at Marinette and dodged any clothes that headed her way.

"What's wrong?" the kwami asked.

Like an antelope stressed beyond measure of being eaten by a raging predator, the girl squealed as she desperately took off her pajamas and changed into her daily clothes. "Tikki, I didn't wake up early! That was my second alarm!"

"Uh oh. And how far apart is your second alarm to your first one?"

"Twenty minutes!" Marinette sprinted to her bathroom to wash her face, brush her teeth, and do her hair.

"Twenty minutes? Why would you put it that far apart?"

An embarrassed smile crossed the girl's face as she gathered her school supplies along with her casual purse where Tikki resided. With a mere roll of the eyes, the creature whirled herself inside and allowed herself to be carried away by the clumsy girl whom, just as she was exiting her room, crashed into a large figure that had suddenly appeared at her door.

"Oh, Marinette! You're-"

"No time to chat, Dad! Gotta go! Have a nice day!" She reached over to place a quick kiss on her father's cheek before squeezing her way pass him and darted downstairs, not even taking a second to hear her dad stutter out a 'have a nice day'. The girl did the same for her mother, finding her attending the register and granted her a kiss before blabbering the same farewell and exited the building to make her way to school. All of it had been far too quick for either parent to fully grasp what was going on, but just the sight of their daughter finally leaving her room to go back to school was enough to set their soul aflame.

"Have a good day, sweetheart~"

* * *

"Marinette isn't here again?"

The sunkissed girl shook her head as a response to the question, refusing to give out any more answers that she wasn't sure were correct. She had an obligation to withhold any information about Marinette from the person who asked that very same question until further notice.

A sigh left the frown of the boy who had no choice but to turn back around to face the front of the class. Obviously, it had been a dumb question to ask in the first place as he could clearly see the empty seat besides Alya, but perhaps she was running late like she normally did, and she was making her way to school right about now.

She's been gone a whole week though...

Would she actually show up today?

The source of worry came from the popular young model, Adrien Agreste. It has been a while since he's seen or heard of the blue girl that sat behind him, so it was more than fair that he would grow a sense of concern. The last he had interacted with her was back at the wax museum and even then she seemed to had been feeling just fine. Sure, before he dropped her off, she appeared a little off, but he assumed it was because they were messing around with each other way too much that day that it lead to the both of them to feel rather down. But he thought they fixed the misunderstanding and were good friends again...that couldn't really be the reason why Marinette had been absent from school, right?

Hmm.

"Maybe I should go visit her after school today," Adrien suggested as he threw his public thoughts over to his best friend, Nino. "Just to make sure she's alright."

At the sound of that, something triggered in the darker tone boy and immediately intercepted. "No way, dude! She totally doesn't like you."

He sure didn't expect that response, and it only stabbed him with a massive pain in the chest. "W-what? What do you mean she doesn't like me?" Oh no...did he screwed up big time? He thought things were okay between them.

Nino twitched and stuttered groans after realizing the dumb shit that left his mouth. "I-I mean, she likes you but, umm, doesn't like you...?"

The blond grunted and crossed his arms, green eyes narrowing in confusion. "So does she like me or not?"

Fuck. Okay, Nino, you already fucked up. Alya's giving you that death glare that's burning the back of your skull. You know it without even looking at her. She told you not to say anything stupid about Marinette and that's the first thing you do. Why do you have to be such a fucking dumbass?

"I-I-I mean like, you know, u-umm...j-just don't go visit her, dude. Not a good idea."

These answers the other was giving him were incredibly contradictory, and they began to irritate Adrien. This was a serious concept, and he needed to know the exact verdict. "Nino, I honestly don't know what the hell you're trying to say. Honestly, man, I need to know why she wouldn't like me or why I shouldn't go see her? She's my friend after all. I have to go make sure she's okay."

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Nino trembled as he was pushed to a corner by two forces he had no power over: one was his best friend who nagged him with questions he couldn't give the proper answers to because of some reason, and the other was his girlfriend who- as he caught a glance at her from the corner of his eye- was mouthing the words 'shut the fuck up' with such a heated look on her face. He hated being stuck in between, and he wasn't sure why he always ended up getting caught in the middle.

What the fuck did he do to deserve this?

"W-well, I...uh..."

"Sorry I'm late!"

Like an angel that swept down to carry him into a merciful embrace, the door swung open to reveal the girl that had been the hot topic of the conversation. Everyone in the room grew dead silent as heads turned towards the newcomer, and it almost felt like the heavens were singing with just the mere sight of her.

Marinette made her way over to her seat without realizing that everyone was staring at her; she was just relieved that she was able to make it to first period even if she might've been a few minutes late. She took the time to catch her breath after running for too long and turned to look over at her best friend to grant her a smile. "Hey, Alya. Did I miss much?"

And as soon as the girl spoke, everyone- with the exception of Chloe, Sabrina, and Lila who didn't give a rat's ass- gathered around her and commenced a group hug, entirely engulfing Marinette. She had been taken aback by the unseen interaction, but she welcomed it and did her best to hug back whomever she could get her arms around. Everyone greeted her, conveyed how much they had missed her and even the teacher, Ms. Bustier, clasped her hands together in delight after seeing one of her students once more in class.

"Welcome back, Marinette."

Just then, a familiar voice pushed itself through all the others and brought the girl to freeze in disbelief. The rest of her classmates released her to give her her space although she had wished they hadn't because she became exposed to the person she nearly forgot was in the same class as her. Bluebell eyes staggered to look over towards the owner of the voice and not a second too late, did she capture the face of the boy whom she had suffered an immense heartbreak from.

"It's good to have you back."

The sight of Marinette was something to behold, and there was nothing else that mattered at that moment than the girl claiming her rightful seat behind him. Adrien had been in the midst of almost getting into an argument with Nino about this exact girl a few seconds ago, but luckily she had appeared at the right moment to calm down his aching nerves. Just seeing her sitting there was almost like a prayer being answered, such a miraculous thing to happen enough to have him want to pray more often.

He hadn't realized until then how much he had genuinely missed her.

Maybe it had been a minute or an hour, but Marinette could not find it in herself to respond back to the blond's words. While she kept a smile on her weary lips, she was dying on the inside for she had completely dismissed the idea of Adrien being an actual human. Perhaps all the excitement of her adventures with Luka distracted her enough to wipe the boy off her slate, and she really wished it would have remained that way because all those memories of her and her crush came rushing back to her at an alarming rate that she could no longer keep up.

His hair.

His eyes.

His lips.

His everything.

Fuck, she hasn't gotten over him, has she?

Some sort of will power smacked her right in her chest hard enough to have her blurt out a simple answer with that forced smile upon pretty pink lips. "It's good to be back..." And that was all she could say before she averted her gaze elsewhere, afraid she might end up doing something she'll regret and make her fall back down the rabbit hole. Fortunately for her, her best friend was beside her to keep her wings from shedding all of her feathers.

A gentle hand was placed upon her shoulder, making the blue girl turn to look at her give a soft smile in reconciliation in her direction. A whispered, 'It's gonna be alright' came from Alya who desperately wanted to protect her best friend at all costs, more so use herself as a human shield from the dragon that was Adrien. It had been a difficult week of trying to bring the blue girl back to life to have all her hard work and effort be ruined by a boy, so there was no way she'd let another slip up from the blond affect Marinette.

Leave it to Alya to know just how to act like a caring mama bear.

And just because she was who she was, Chloe interrupted the heartwarming moment with a ruthless comment of her own. "I thought she'd be dead by now. Not like anyone would've noticed or cared."

But no one really paid any attention to her and that simply frustrated the girl enough to make her cross her arms and shut her mouth.

* * *

An entire school day of trying to keep her head held high rewarded her with freedom once classes had been done and dealt with. While before she would've done anything to spend more time with 'him', now all she wanted to do was rush back home to the safety of her room and curl up inside her shell to keep herself from breaking. She wouldn't have minded going home on her own, but it seemed like Alya was more cautious about her than she was for her own self- considering how she stayed near her at all times throughout the day.

"My Ladyblog has been a complete graveyard," the sunkissed girl exclaimed as she skimmed through her website on her phone while walking with her best friend and boyfriend out of the school. "Hopefully Ladybug will show up soon or else I'm gonna run out of content to post. I'll have to resort to making a blog for Chat Noir if she doesn't show up soon. Hmm, what would the name for that blog be? Chat with the Chat?"

"Sounds lame if you ask me," Nino replied back as he rested his arms over his head. "Just make a fake porn blog or something if you wanna attract a lot of attention-ouch!"

Alya had smacked the boy upside the head after hearing such a stupid idea. "You want me to make a fake porn blog of myself? What, are you crazy?"

"What? No, I meant, like, post fake porn pics of Ladybug and Chat No-ouch!" And another hard slap. "Woman, what is your problem?!"

"How dare you disrespect Ladybug and Chat Noir that way? If I were to ever post nudes of them, it'll have to be genuine, not fake."

"Geez...I was just messing around...but of course it'd so be like you to leak actual nudes of them if you were given the chance."

"Well, duh. Gotta have the essentials."

"Christ..."

Alya laughed and turned to look over at the blue girl with a goofy grin. "What do you think, Marinette? Should I ever post nudes of Ladybug and Chat Noir? Maybe that way I can find out what their real identities are."

Marinette had been too caught up with her own thoughts about the day to pay much attention to whatever bullshit her friends have been spitting this entire time. "Umm, sure, I guess."

It would be unlike Alya to miss when her best friend was acting odd, so she immediately turned into caretaker mode. "What's up, Mari? You doing okay?"

"O-Oh." The blue girl shook her head and gave a nod, tightening her grip around the handles of her backpack. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I was kinda zoning out. I had a long night last night, so I'm feeling a bit tired."

And that was all the information the sunkissed girl needed to have a smirk grow on her lips.

"Oh~? Is that so~?" Alya hooked her arm around Marinette's own, physically poking her to spill the beans with an almost seductive tone, her face pressing against the other's. "Did you go see Luka~? I remember he invited you to go see him perform~ How was he~? Did you two kissed again~? Did you two fuck~?"

The mere sound of Luka's name was enough to turn Marinette's face into a tomato and if she were a kettle, she'd be boiling and squealing. The blue girl aggressively shook her head in denial and pushed her friend's face away from her own, making Alya laugh at her reaction. "N-N-No! O-Of course n-not! D-Don't be ridiculous!"

"Did who fucked who?"

Just then, a new voice joined the fray and caused the three to stop in their tracks, each with their own bewildered expressions. Before them, out of nowhere, was the rich boy Agreste who caught up to them after finishing up his business with one of his classes. His eyes went to each one of his friends, a smile to all, but his stare remained for a much longer time on Marinette whom he noticed had such a peculiar look to her face and was worried she was having a slight fever with the bright coloring to her fair complexion.

"Umm, Marinette? You okay?"

Of course, things were all coming to hit her all at once that the poor girl had no time to react accordingly, so she simply stuttered random noises that weren't creating a sentence. With Luka fresh on her mind no thanks to Alya, Adrien sudden thought it was a good idea to fuck her by showing up and plastering himself right up in there without her consent. Why did the two most attractive guys have to invade her mind chamber all at once?

This had to be some sort of mental and emotional abuse.

Thankfully for her, her best friend had everything covered and went straight into action. "Yep, Marinette's just fine. Now if you'll excuse us-"

"Wait, I actually wanted to tell Marinette something."

The blond boy got closer to the blue girl who, at this point, was high off her own embarrassment and could no longer move. Adrien ignored Alya's attempt to get in the way which actually only made him get even closer to his target, making it harder to get the two away from each other. Nino simply held onto his girlfriend's shoulders to calm her down and pull her way, feeling the need to let these two work out their problems. Alya didn't even protest at this point and figured that perhaps this was a chance for the two to be on good terms again despite her better judgement. Just seeing how her best friend was frozen with a flushed face made her worry and fear she might end up having a panic attack...

Mint green eyes met with bluebell ones, the two pairs of hues connecting with one another at a level that was unexplainable to the anxious girl. She hated the way he looked at her- those gorgeous eyes shining in the evening light as they cast her reflection upon them. That smile on those lovely lips was even worse, too genuine that it made her insides turn into mush. How could it be that a whole week of not seeing this boy's face did nothing to make her immune to his appearance alone? Was she just doomed to forever fall for this blond's charms?

Stop being so goddamn perfect, you piece of shit.

"Hey, so umm, I was wondering, Marinette..." Adrien began, a modest look on his picture perfect face. "...if you wanted to go out to dinner with me."

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

"Ever since the last time we talked, I've been feeling guilty for not being a good person to you. I hurt you, I know that much. I want to make it up to you by treating you to some food at the very least."

No, no. Shut the fuck up.

"I know it's not much, but I've been really worried about you the whole time you were gone and wanted to do something for you in hopes of making you feel better again."

Please for the love of god stop talking.

"I actually was going to go visit you at your place to check up on you after school but now that you're here, I can do much more than that and take you out to eat. It's a last minute idea, I know, but I promise you that I'll try my best to do whatever it takes to make sure you're doing okay."

You fucking fuck fuck shut the fuck up omfg

"Oh, and I also have a couple of pictures from my last photo shoot and since I know you're into fashion, I figured you'd be interested in them."

ahfnjkszfjdkznfjdsveio

"So what do you think? You wanna go out to dinner with me?"

Marinette . exe has stopped working.

Adrien remained standing there, waiting patiently for the girl's response- one that was taking a while to come out from her. Everyone, even the couple that had been watching all of this unfold from a distance, only stared at Marinette who hadn't said a single word for a hot minute which later became a concern for the party. None knew what was wrong with the blue girl although two of them knew that perhaps she was going through some sort of internal breakdown while the other was confused and worried that he might've said something wrong.

"Marinette?"

"I-I think it's best that she-"

"Yes."

Both Adrien and Alya had been interrupted by the girl who suddenly spoke out of the blue, making everyone jerk their attention back at her. She still held onto that red color on her delicate face, and she was sure she was burning up from the inside. By some miracle was she able to mutter out an answer- one she wasn't sure was the one she wanted- and forced a faint smile on her trembling lips towards the blond who broke her yet again although this time, she took it on a positive note. Somewhere in the back of her mind tried to keep her spirits high and convince her that maybe this was a second chance, another opportunity to recover what she had lost. Maybe this was going to be the thing that would help her escape from the chains that wrapped tightly around her.

. . .

Maybe this was her chance to see whether or not she should give up on Adrien.

A major test.

One she knew she could fail.

It was a risk she was willing to take.

Or was it?

Was she even ready for this?

No, of course not.

Her heart was the thing that pushed her to give him another try.

Her head was telling her no.

But her heart always seemed to find a way to beat her head and conquer her actions.

She was scared.

_Adrien...please don't hurt me..._

. . .

"I would love to."


	11. Chapter 10

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 10_

_"The perfect date is the one where anything and everything goes wrong, but at the end of it, all you want is to see them again."_

-Dylan O'Brien

* * *

**TW: Anxiety Attack and Strong Language**

* * *

How did she end up in this mess?

All she could remember was nodding her head to everything Adrien said before getting dragged into his limousine without a second thought. She was sure Alya and Nino were screaming at the top of their lungs to her, but she had been too caught up in a trance to even bother to pay any attention to them. It wasn't until she was inside the vehicle that she had found the strength to pull herself back to reality.

But it had been a little too late.

Signs of anxiety were present on the girl's body as she sat there besides the blond on the exact spot where she had once been over a week ago- back when everything went downhill. Her fingers were fidgeting, her breathing and heart beat increased, her stomach turned, and her body temperature was a mess as it raised and lowered all at once. She felt like she was going to vomit or faint, whichever came first, and she desperately wanted to leave this area of discomfort. However, she could not move or speak for she was drowning in panic and, at the peak of her attack, she felt like she was going to die.

_Someone please help me..._

"Marinette, you doing okay?"

Just then, Marinette had been able to take in a deep breath and let it out at the sound of a voice that somehow had been able to open an airway for her. The girl did her best to regulate her breathing as well as to try and fake her attack in order to respond back to whomever had spoken to her- at this point, she was too dizzy to even be able to clearly pinpoint what was going on.

"Y-Y-Yeah...I just...n-n-need some...o-oh...Adrien..."

It was at that moment where her trembling eyes caught sight of the boy that sat beside her, giving her a look of concern. It was almost as though he was considering whether or not to reach out and touch her from how he leaned towards her. The girl blinked several times and shook her head to clear her blurry mind before giving her best smile.

"Y-Yeah. Just feel d-dizzy."

Not liking the sound of that, Adrien frowned and reached over to gentle place a hand on the girl's shoulder, feeling her twitch at his touch which made him feel a bit guilty for having done so. "That's not good. Do you get motion sickness? I'm willing to tell my driver to slow down-"

"No, n-no. It's fine. I just...g-give me some t-time to...relax..." All Marinette wanted was some peace and quiet, and it didn't help to hear Adrien's voice among all of her submerged thoughts coursing through her mind. "I'll be...fine..."

This sort of activity wasn't common for the blond, so he had no idea what to do to help the girl except to listen to her and give her some space. Maybe this was the reason why Marinette had been absent this whole time; it would make sense because just seeing the girl struggle to stay still accompanied by her red face only signaled to him that she was sick of something. He'd understand if it had been hard for her to even get up from bed for days if this was what she had dealt with- perhaps she was still overcoming her illness.

And perhaps it had been a bad idea to had invited her to dinner.

"Marinette, if you're not feeling well, I can take you back to your house." Despite him wanting to be on good terms with her, he figured that another way to do so was to give her what she wanted instead of forcing her to do stuff. "It's no problem, really."

"No!" A sudden burst came from the girl, causing the boy to jump slightly. "I-I mean...it's fine. M-maybe I just need some food...and fresh air..." She has gotten this far to back down now; she knew that in order to conquer the obstacles getting in her way, she needed to face them head on. Adrien wasn't going to simply disappear just because she wanted him to, and she couldn't just not go to school and stay home for the rest of her life. This was all on her, and she had to push through no matter how much it hurt.

Adrien was in love with another girl anyway, so what's the point in even trying to win his heart anymore?

Things shouldn't be as stressful as before.

Sigh.

Figured she was just scared of hearing rejection after rejection from the boy she...was still in love with...

A fragile hand reached out to touch Adrien's own as bluebell eyes desperately clung onto the last piece of hope that remained of being at least something special to the boy. "Please, Adrien. I want to have dinner with you. I'll be...fine."

It went against his better judgement to allow Marinette to continue if she wasn't feeling well, but she was agonizingly begging him to let her stay. Those puppy eyes she gave to him, how could he ever say no? Besides, it had been his idea in the first place to have her go out with him.

"Okay. But please tell me if you start to feel any worse. We can go out to eat some other day when you're feeling a lot better." His larger hand returned the friendly gesture of touching the other's, his own green eyes giving a look of sincerity.

Marinette was not going to allow another day to pass by without her confronting Adrien because she was certain that if she chickened out, she was never going to try ever again- not until perhaps another week. It would continue to be a cycle of repeated torture that she wasn't sure she could take much longer, and in order to break it, she had to do things she didn't want to.

One day, she's going to have to give up on Adrien...

But not today.

"Thank you."

* * *

The alluring smell of food covered the duet as they entered through the doors of one of the most popular restaurants in Paris: L'Arcane. A waiter immediately attended the two as Adrien was the city's top young model- and needed the attention as soon as possible- and were given the best booth in the house. Their desired dishes were accounted for and drinks were served, leaving the two to their own until their meals were set before them.

All of this rushing was something Marinette was not used to, so it threw her off when they were given all of the primary essentials in less than ten minutes. Normally, whenever she and her parents went out to eat, it would take them around thirty minutes or so to even get a seat and their menus. The benefits of being filthy rich and an icon.

"It shouldn't be long before our food gets here," Adrien said as he placed his intertwined hands on the table. "So you'll be able to get some food in you and hopefully feel a whole lot better."

"Yeah..." The girl was still recovering after her attack back in the limousine but luckily she had been able to muster up the strength to keep going. Perhaps some food will actually make her less antsy. She was already relieved with keeping herself hydrated with the water she ordered. "Thank you again for inviting me."

"Of course. Like I mentioned before, I wanted to make it up to you after what happened the last time we hung out." The boy then made circles on the table, his eyes averted from the girl. "I know we both came to an agreement about not messing with each other but, I don't know, I guess it still didn't sit well with me. I was worried the whole time you were absent because I felt like somehow I had something to do with you not being at school. Maybe I'm just being so self absorbed and probably had nothing to do with me, but I still felt bad after leaving you with a sour mood. I wanted to give you a better time than what we had before."

Deep down, Marinette wanted to scream that, yes, all of her time away from school had been because of him and nothing else. She wanted to reveal her love for him and release every single emotion that came with the price. She wanted to cry and laugh and yell and smile to show him just how much he fucked her up. She wanted to fuck him up in the same way just to put him in her shoes, but she knew should could never do that to him. It wasn't his fault that she was unlikable, unattractive, boring, plain, hideous...

_You just came down from an attack._

_Please stay focused._

The girl gave a sigh and refused to give the boy eye contact much like he has done to her. She was just going to have to lie. Again. "You did nothing wrong, Adrien."

That sentence alone held so much power that it brought her to her knees.

"We talked out our problems, and I'm glad that we're still...friends."

Another phrase that stung her deep in her core.

"I was absent because I was sick, Adrien, not because you did something wrong. You saw how I...acted back in the limo...and I'm sorry you had to witness that. I'm still recovering, so I hope you can understand that I'm not completely myself just yet."

Nor will she be until she's done with all of this self destructive behavior.

Aftering hearing such reassuring words from the girl, the blond gave a sigh of relief and smiled at her, his eyes now resting on her small frame. Maybe it was the lighting, but she appeared much tinier and fragile than she normally would. "Thank you, Marinette. I'm sorry for making this all about me. How selfish. I figured you were just very sick and couldn't make it to class but for some reason, I thought it was because of me and...ahhh...I'm so stupid, aren't I? Haha. But from now on, I'll do my best to make sure you stay healthy and fight off any diseases that try to hurt you again."

Oh fuck off, you insanely, perfect piece of horse shit.

Marinette gave a soft giggle as Adrien joined in, the two laughing at different reasons, but at the very least the tension that had been surrounding was decreasing much to the girl's relief. Sure, she wasn't 100% okay, but she was okay enough to erase all those fears for the meantime and focus on spending time with her _'friend'_ Adrien Agreste.

* * *

"That's why this restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat."

An hour or so has passed of the duet eating and enjoying each other's company. Adrien spent his time telling stories to Marinette about the thing she missed at school along with any modeling tales he thought she'd be interested in. Marinette spent her time saying what she did during her stay at home- which honestly wasn't much due to the removal of sensitive details- and praised the boy for his modeling work. They shared many laughs which had once been an impossible thought for the girl because of her lack of happiness, but she had been proven wrong and was glad to have been. Pushing aside her feelings had made it easier for Marinette to enjoy life and, more importantly, enjoy her time with Adrien without falling into a pit of despair.

For a moment, the chains around her had lessen their grip.

The two entered the limousine that had waited for them and began to ride off towards the girl's house. They both sat closer to each other than they had done so before, but neither was against it so none moved away.

"I'm going to say it again, thank you for inviting me," Marinette said as she rested her head against the blond's shoulder, a bold action on her part. "It's not an everyday thing for me to eat at a very expensive restaurant. It was delicious."

Adrien smiled down at the girl and rested his head on top of hers, something that made the girl gasp internally. "I guess I'll have to take you out to dinner more often. There are still plenty of more restaurants I want you to try out."

The two remained silent for a while, a stillness that was welcomed by both as they rode under the dimly lit night sky. Only the sound of the vehicle humming could be heard, and it served like a form of lullaby the girl was thankful for. Up to this point, things were going perfectly smooth, and there was nothing that could ruin the mood.

Her thoughts had quiet down.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Marinette broke the silence with her soft voice, making the boy hum in question. "I didn't think your dad would let you go out this late."

"He didn't." Adrien chuckled. "And he's not going to tell me what I can and can't do for about a week or so. He's out of country doing business stuff somewhere else."

This brought the girl to raise her head and give the boy a look of surprise. "Oh."

He nodded, a cheeky grin on his lovely lips. "Yep. That's why I invited you as soon as I could. I'll have to make the most of the time I'll be alone. Even Nathalie isn't around, so I'm basically a free man."

"That's great to hear, Adrien. You finally get some time to yourself and do whatever you want."

"Yeah. Just think of all the restaurants you'll be able to eat at~"

Marinette was taken aback by the sudden mention of her, not even once considering she would be a part of his free time. It caused her to blush immensely, and she hoped the shadows cast on her face would be enough to cover her reddened cheeks. "O-Oh. You don't have to take me out for dinner every day."

"You're right. I don't have to." The boy gave a pat to the girl's head. "But I want to. You've been stuck in bed for a whole week after all. It'll be good for you to go out and do something to get you back into the rhythm of things. You are willing to go out with me during my time alone, right?"

Heat spread its way all over her body, so much that surely anyone could put an egg on her arm and it'll cook. Out of everything they said today, that was the least thing she'd expect to hear coming from the boy's mouth. Sure, it had been clear that she would be able to see him during school, but never did she pondered on the idea of him purposely spending time with her just because. All those times she struggled to even get a single minute with him and then, all of a sudden, he comes out with 'yo i'm free you're free let's hang out'. She didn't think once that she'd be on his mind of Potential Hanging Out Material, so this was a huge shocker for her.

This wasn't a dream, was it?

After realizing she hadn't said anything in a while, Marinette shook her head and stuttered out the best coherent sentence she could make. "O-Oh...yes. You're perfect...I-I mean...that sounds perfect. Aha..."

Adrien granted her a smile that could resurrect the dead and gave her yet another pat on the head. "Great. It'll be so nice to finally have someone to eat with."

Uh oh.

Her feelings were starting to break their cage.

Fortunately for her, they arrived at her place as soon as she felt butterflies in her stomach. She was brought back to the present when she noticed the boy get off the limo and make her way over to her side to which he opened the door for her. And despite having just gathered her senses, the view of the blond holding the door as a hand reached out to her appeared like a scene from a book where the prince offered his hand to the princess in marriage and-

_FUCK._

"Can you move, Marinette?"

Marinette forced herself down to earth with the help of Adrien's voice. Her flustered self didn't go anywhere, though, but at least she was able to move her body to get out of the vehicle. Her small hand was grabbed the boy's own as she was gently pulled out from her seat and onto firm ground. Their grip on each other remained for a while longer until Adrien finally decided to let go which brought the girl to retract her hand suddenly in fear of possibly being too touchy.

"Well, today was a nice day," Adrien stated. "Thank you for going out to dinner with me. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah definitely, you'll definitely see me tomorrow if you'll be there...I-I mean...because, umm, gotta get back to school, you know?" Marinette mentally stabbed herself for retreating back to her dumb, mindless self.

The boy didn't mind her stutter and simply smiled. He waved her a goodbye before getting back inside the limo and drove off into the distance. The girl stayed standing outside of her family's bakery with her hand up and waving at no one, her mind drifting off into wonderland due to the rush of adrenaline that had been injected in her.

She looked like a druggie.

The red creature then popped out from her hiding spot to make comments of her own, large eyes and smile apparent on her face as she too looked at the distance where the vehicle had disappeared. "What a wonderful day it has been, huh Marinette?" After no sound came from the girl's mouth, Tikki turned to look at her human with a concerned look. "Marinette?"

With her hand still waving on its own and her heart high off love, a smile fixed itself upon plump lips as her brain disapproved of her actions and mentally slapped her upside the head for being a dumb bitch.

"I'm fucked."


	12. Chapter 11

**_Moondust: _**_Chapter 11_

_"It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes her so important."__  
_

-Antoine De Saint

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

The poor Eiffel tower had gone through so much shit that surely if it had feelings, it would accept death at any given point. Luckily for it, a swarm of magical ladybugs would always came to the rescue to restore it back to its original state. Not entirely sure if that is what the tower would have wanted considering everything, but at the very least the people of Paris would continue to admire its beauty for days to come.

"Pound it!"

Mr. Ramier emerged from his cast of darkness that had been caused due to his akumatized transformation and sat in the middle of the park his Mr. Pigeon self had once been terrorizing. Fists came in contact with each other as the two individuals that had saved the man and the city yet again sealed the deal with a declaration of their impeccable teamwork.

"It sure does feel good to have you back, Ladybug," the black cat superhero, Chat Noir exclaimed as his green eyes longingly looked over at his favorite person in the entire world.

The red and black spotted heroine smiled in satisfaction at the more than true statement. "It's good to be back. I'm sorry if I was a bit rusty; I haven't really done this is a while."

"Nonsense, m'lady. You were perfect like you always are~ I haven't had this much fun defeating a villain in a long time, and it's all thanks to you~"

Ladybug chuckled then turned her back towards her partner to make her leave. "It was fun while it lasted but gotta bug out now-"

"Wait!"

Just then a hand reached out and grabbed onto the girl's wrist, bringing her to a halt and forcing her to glance back over to her partner with a confused and impatient look. Her earrings beeped in warning as she only had a couple of seconds before she transformed back. "Chat, I only have-"

"I know, I know." Chat Noir bashfully rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to find the right words to say. "Remember you mentioned about going on a...date with me? Well, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to do just that later in the day? Like maybe in the evening or something?" His ring also alerted him through a beep although, unlike Ladybug, he was in no rush and did not mind revealing his true identity to the girl he loved.

She never understood how uncaring the boy was when it came to time management, but she did comprehend the idea of the other merely wanting to take some time to talk to her. They don't necessarily have the time to chit chat during a battle, and those were the only chances they had to communicate to each other. It also didn't help that she had been absent for days, leaving the poor black cat on his own- or not she'll have to ask about that. The least she can do is give him the opportunity to talk to her outside of their job; she did promised him after all.

With a sigh that escaped through a smile, Ladybug gave a nod and sweet eyes towards her partner in fighting crime. "Alright, kitty. We'll go on a date. Just make sure you message me where you want to meet up and at what time. Don't really have the time to plan all of that right now."

The more than elated Chat Noir nodded his head vigorously and released his grip on the girl. Not even the seven wonders of the world could come close to the magical grin on his face that could substitute for the sun. His tail belt wagged in immense joy. "Of course! Thank you for doing this for me."

With one last wink, the heroine whipped her yo-yo towards a nearby building and flung herself out of sight, leaving the black cat to his own. But he didn't mind in the least as he was happier than he had ever been in days. He appeared like a little boy who just won his favorite toy in a contest to the eyes of the bewildered Mr. Ramier who had been sitting on the ground after his defeat. The older man granted the superhero double thumbs up for catching himself a date with the amazing Ladybug which only made Chat Noir that much more excited.

_"I'm going on a date with Ladybug~ I'm going on a date with Ladybug~ I'm going on a date with Ladybug~"_

The boy sang his way out of view and left the pigeon obsessed man to his birds yet again, happily throwing seeds to feed them.

* * *

Marinette ran as quickly as she could back to her school after having left last period to go do some Ladybug work. She hoped no one thought too much about her whereabouts because she was running out of excuses to spew and brainwash them into believing she was a mere citizen that was always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Shit..." At the sight of students already making their way out the large doors of the building made the girl force herself to run faster and hope no one she knew spotted her making her way inside. No one would be stupid enough to believe that she forgot where the bathroom was and somehow ended up outside.

The girl sprinted her way towards the room where her last class had been and snuck her way inside although there had been no need to since no one was inside anymore. It worried her a tiny bit because if she didn't find her belongings at her desk that meant that...

"Looking for this?"

She figured as much.

Marinette slowly turned around towards the owner of the voice and granted her a weary smile as she reached out to grab her backpack from her grasp. "Hehe..."

The one who possessed her belongings had been none other than her best friend Alya who always ended up returning back her things after being gone for far too long. Sometimes it made her wonder whether Marinette got stuck on the toilet and refused to let her know about that embarrassing detail.

"Girl, do you purposely go to the bathroom farthest away from the classroom?" The sunkissed girl shook her head in disbelief as she followed behind the blue girl as they both exited the room and met up with Nino who had been waiting outside. "Because goddamn I've never met someone who takes an entire class period to take a shit."

Marinette chuckled nervously as she clung tightly onto the straps of her backpack. "I...uh...might."

"Don't tease her," Nino stepped into the conversation. "I would skip class too with someone like Mrs. Boucher as our teacher. She almost gobbled me up that one day just because I was wearing my headphones. And I wasn't even using them."

Alya rolled her eyes and lead the two to follow her towards the exit. "I guess. You two are just pushovers. Gotta learn how to stand up for yourselves."

"Bet Mrs. Boucher will end up being the next Chloe at akumatizing people."

Nino gently elbowed Marinette and winked at her to try and make her feel less bad about missing class which honestly worked as it made the blue girl giggle in response. Alya simply grinned and shook her head before changing the topic, her focus now completely on her best friend. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Adrien had been looking for you. He seemed like he was in a hurry to talk to you and stuff."

At the sound of the blond looking for her made Marinette blush and hang her head in embarrassment, though in a good way, as she never thought in her life that Adrien would ever be looking for her. "O-Oh..."

"Yeah. But that begs the question..." Alya stopped suddenly and reached over to place her hands on the blue girl's shoulder, making her look directly at her. "I know lately you two have been spending a lot of time together especially after school and, well, I need you to be honest with me, girl. Are you okay? Before, you wanted nothing to do with Adrien, and now you're all over him again. I don't want you to go down the same shit hole as you did before. I'm just looking out for you, I hope you know that."

Back then, when she had been head-over-heels for the gorgeous blond model, Marinette would've simply ignored Alya's concerns and go about her day on how to ask Adrien out on a date. But now after everything that has happened, she was more considerate in listening to her best friend's worries and was more than glad that she had someone to pick her up when she falls.

Alya did bring up a good point though, was Marinette actually okay?

Sure, she had been eating dinner with Adrien ever since the first day he had asked her out and nothing really major has happened between the two aside her from turning into a disgraceful blubbering mess. She hasn't gone through any panic attacks as of late which should mean something great, right? There were times she still felt a bit uneasy with the boy but not so much as to make her cry at night like before. There was something that brought joy to her sensitive heart when she was with the boy, and she clung onto that spark like her life depended on it.

Adrien still owned the key to her heart.

A small, genuine smile spread on the blue girl's lovely lips. "Yeah, I'm okay. I feel a lot more comfortable being with Adrien than I have done so before. I don't feel like I'm in danger with him anymore. I think things between us are healing properly. Thank you for caring so much about me." Marinette then wrapped her arms around Alya and granted her a squeeze.

That hug brought something to the soul of the sunkissed girl, and it almost made her shed a tear- like a mama bear watching her cub grow up into a strong adult.

"Marinette, you're too pure," Alya whispered, returning the hug with a tighter squeeze before letting her go to look into those bluebell eyes. "I swear that I'll murder that boy if he dares hurts you again. He doesn't deserve someone as amazing as you."

"Uh, he's my best friend too..." Nino input his thoughts, quickly shutting up at the sight of his girlfriend sending daggers towards him. "I-I mean, like yeah he can be a dumbass, but he's still a good guy. You just gotta be patient with him...oh, speak of the devil."

The trio lifted their gazes and looked over towards the individual that had been the topic of discussion suddenly make his appearance before them. He calmly walked over to the group with a smile that could put the sun to shame. Once he reached them, he offered a wave of hospitality to each one of his friends before glueing his attention to the blue girl he had been looking for this whole time.

"Hey, Marinette."

And nothing else mattered at that moment other than the boy who stole the spotlight and her heart. The world around them went into a mumbled blur.

"H-Hi, Adrien."

The blond smiled then gave his two other friends their individual greetings before going back to Marinette. "I have something important to do later, so I won't be able to take you out to dinner, Marinette. Sorry about that."

Eyes blinked in shock and disappointment at the news she could only consider it being bad. But of course, she couldn't let him know. "O-Oh, that's fine. Maybe another day..." She didn't need to eat every day with him, although it was something she enjoyed dearly.

"Definitely, but, um, I do want to take you out still. I want you to help me with something if you don't mind."

And her sour emotions suddenly did a 180.

"Yes! I-I mean, y-yeah. I don't mind." She didn't care what they did, as long as they spent time together was all that mattered.

Adrien gave a sigh of relief and granted his hand at the blue girl. "Awesome! I'm actually in a hurry, so if you don't have anything to do right now, we can head out."

Why would there be a reason to not reach out for his strong hand and allow him to carry her away from everything that held no meaning to her. A dream of hers was to run away with the blond to a place no one could find them- where it'll just be them and no one else.

"I wanna do you...I-I mean, I wanna go out with you. Yeah, umm, I-I don't have anything right now."

"Perfect. Let's go."

And just like that, Marinette followed behind Adrien who lead her to his limousine, kindly helping her get into her seat before getting inside himself and drove away into the distance. The two others remained standing there with blank looks on their faces, being nothing but observes of whatever dynamic was going on between both of their best friends.

"Okay, guess we're just nonexistent now." Alya spoke up with a pout on her lips as she crossed her arms. "We'd like to go out to eat dinner at a fancy restaurant too by the way, Adrien Agreste!"

Nino simply sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his girl's back, trying his best to ease her emotions. "Maybe one day, baby girl. Maybe one day."

* * *

Being in the limo had been almost like a second home to her, the smell of leather and cologne that Adrien wore welcomed her every time she entered the vehicle. It has been a little over three days since she's been a frequent visitor that Gorilla no longer questioned her existence and instead actually greeted her with a faint but present smile whenever their eyes caught sight of each other in the rear mirror.

Marinette finally felt like a part of the blond's life instead of being an NPC in the background.

"Okay so..." Adrien spoke up, his mint green eyes glancing over towards the blue girl. "...sorry for not being able to take you out to dinner today, but I promise you I'll continue to do so tomorrow."

The girl softly smiled. "It's okay. Just being with you is enough to feed my hunger. I-I mean, just hanging out with you is, uh, enough to forget I'm hungry." She still had to practice her stuttering despite all the time she's been with him.

"Heh. That's good to hear, but I still want you to eat. I'll take you back home as soon as possible. I just need an outsider's opinion and since I trust you, I figured you'd be the perfect person." Adrien then winked at her which caused the girl to internally scream.

Even if she makes a fool of herself, he somehow finds a way to move past that and treat her like a special someone. With those words and those actions...how can she not fall deeper in love with him?

Perhaps she had been wrong to give up on him.

Before she could respond, however, the limo came to a sudden stop which startled the two all at once. They both looked outside towards a wide open area where a bunch of small shops posted themselves all across to sell whatever small things they wanted. It was the Tianguis that would happen every week around the same time, a wonderful environment to buy or look at foreign items from all around the world. Sometimes, Marinette and Alya would come by just to check out what cool things they could find, but it has been a while, so it was a surprise to see the marketplace after who knows how long.

"There it is." Adrien pointed out the window on Marinette's side before exiting through his door and make his way over to the girl's side to open the door for her.

Still not knowing why they were there but had no complaints whatsoever, the girl stepped out of the vehicle with the help of the blond. Her eyes scanned the area before them and took in every single detail, feeling excited to perhaps explore the stores the wide open space had to offer.

"Thanks, Gorilla. We won't be for long," the boy called out to his driver then shut it behind him. He turned over to the marketplace to do the same examination of the area before spotting the very shop he had been hoping to find. "Marinette, over here." He grabbed her hand without giving her a warning and tugged her along towards a florist attraction where several, beautiful flowers were on display for anyone to buy.

At the sight of the pretty plants made Marinette hum in delight for she was a huge fan of flowers and could spend hours in a floral shop smelling all of the different kinds of flowers that were available. "They're all so beautiful..."

"You're right," Adrien agreed, his hand rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes went from one row of flowers to another. "Damn, they're all very nice. I don't know which ones I should get."

Her mind suddenly clicked and reminded her that she had no idea why she was here at the florist in the first place. However, after hearing the boy say a couple of words that made her question a few things to herself, she turned to look at him and figured to ask at least one question. "You're looking for flowers?"

Adrien bashfully smiled and gave a nod. "Yeah. You see, I want to give someone some flowers, and I was hoping that you could help me out. They have to be super special ones but knowing how smart you are, it shouldn't be hard for you."

For a moment, something didn't sit well with Marinette, but she brushed it off and instead focused on the compliment she just received from the blond who could make these flowers jealous. "O-Of course I can help you. But there are a lot of flowers to choose from, so I'll need specifics. If you don't mind asking, who are the flowers for?"

And it was at that moment that she knew she fucked up.

_"For the girl I love."_

Her insides shriveled into ashes, dust that eventually disappeared due to her empty void sucking it all in into nothingness. Her heart that had been patched up was having some of its bandages removed, allowing blood to squirt all over. She was both drowning and suffocating all at once, and she felt like she was going to die right there and then.

But a small hint of hope kept her from falling apart entirely.

What if she was the girl he loved? What if, after all this time they spent together, he finally came to a realization that she existed and was the perfect match for him? What if that was the reason why he asked her to come pick flowers because he wanted her to choose her favorites? What if this was a way for him to confess his...

That tiny light of hope rapidly vanished.

Who was she kidding?

She would never be his first choice.

Forget that- she would never be his choice.

She wasn't good enough.

"Marinette?"

Her chambers were crumbling, but she forced her outside appearance to be normal as she held onto that smile that was painful to even have, but she did it for him. Her eyes trembled and twitched, yet she kept strong for right now was not the place and time to cry. Her focus remained on the boy in front of her, that little piece of heaven on earth that was far beyond her reach. No matter all the precautions she took- wearing heavy duty gloves to hold him, wearing goggles to prevent any chemicals to fly into her eyes, wearing tough clothes to avoid burns- it wasn't enough.

Nothing was ever enough.

"Yeah, I got you." The girl turned around and robotically made her way towards the section where the roses were. She stood near the red ones and presented them to Adrien, plastic smiles all around. "Red roses symbolize love and romance. You can never go wrong with them. But you have to consider the amount of roses you want to give too, because different number of roses mean different things."

Marinette achingly reached over for one rose to sniff it and hand it over to the blond who took it and did the same. "One rose means love at first sight. Two roses means shared and deep love. Three roses means 'I love you'. Six roses means 'I want to be yours'. Seven roses means 'I'm infatuated with you.' Nine roses means eternal love. And ten roses means 'You're perfect.'"

She then stepped away to allow Adrien to select his desired amount, her stance solid and firm as she refused to see how many he decided to get. Why did it matter to her anyway? She wasn't the person of interest.

The boy ended up getting a large patch of roses, ten at the very least, before smiling towards the girl. "Thank you so much, Marinette. You're a lifesaver." He then patted her shoulder before making his way over to the owner of the shop and pay for them.

Bluebell eyes looked after the blond for a moment before averting away. Her body slumped at last and turned away from the shop, her feet having difficulty to drag her towards the limousine. She wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up in her bed. But of course, that couldn't be possible as a message suddenly reminded her that she still had something else to do before she could retire for the day.

[ Text ]: Hey LB~ Meet me at the Eiffel tower around 6 :)

Sigh.

"Marinette."

A voice that was a melody to her but suddenly sounded like a sour note forced her to look up towards the boy she didn't want to see more of. He had control over her like a puppeteer would on a marionette, and she absolutely hated it. If only she could break her chains from him, then she wouldn't have to go through this every time.

But no, her stupid heart had to keep loving him.

!

A pink rose swiftly made its way up to her face, the hand that offered it to her was none other than Adrien himself who had a large bouquet of red roses in the other hand. A smile that held nothing but candid emotions softly flashed itself at her. She wasn't sure how he did it, but even when she was feeling at her worst, he knew exactly what to do to bring her back up even by a single step.

Why did he have to be so goddamn perfect?

"I got you a rose as a thanks for everything you've done for me," he stated with green eyes glowing and alluring the girl into a trance. "It's pink. It reminded me of you."

Her body moved on its own as her hand reached out for the single rose, her eyes widening slightly at the mere sight of it. It wasn't as grand as the bunch of roses the boy held, but it had something special to it that put a pause one the girl's heartbreak.

A pink rose...

Pink stood for gratitude, grace, admiration, and joy.

One pink rose...

Love at first sight.


	13. Chapter 12

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 12_

_" 'I love you, and because I love you I believe in you. But if I did not believe, still should I love. Had you come back for me, and had there been no other way, I would have gone into the jungle with you-forever.' "_

-Edgar Rice Burroughs

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

"Look at it from the bright side, at least he gave you a rose."

Marinette sighed as she slumped further down against her wall with the sole flower resting in her hand. After Adrien had dropped her off, the girl spent the rest of her time moping around about this or this, wondering if this rose even meant worth keeping. Was it a good omen or a bad one? Sure, it had been sorta nice that she got a rose- a pretty pink one at that- but she was well aware that the boy had gotten a huge patch of red rose for 'the girl he loves'.

One measly rose versus a chunk.

There was no competition.

Was he purposely trying to kill her?

"I guess...but...ugh...I just wish...he wouldn't see me as just a friend...but who am I kidding? It's obvious he's infatuated with whoever this girl is more than me. I'll never be the apple of his eye...why do I even bother?"

* * *

Why does she even bother indeed.

The pastel coloring on the beautiful rose under the sunset made it seem almost magical with the sudden sparkles from the rays of light. Gloved hand twirled it around gently as a sniff would occasionally occur for it was impossible to not want to smell the wonderful scent.

It was a stunning rose, and the boy who gave it to her was even more ravishing.

Perhaps she should keep it; it wasn't every day that she received a gift from the Adrien Agreste.

But the memory of the blond holding onto a bouquet of roses for someone else was unavoidable.

_She sure is a lucky girl_.

"LB!"

At the sound of another voice aside from the ones in her head, Ladybug jumped a tad at the sudden surprise before she packed the pink rose she had been examining during her wait inside her compact yo-yo. She turned around in order to properly greet the incoming black cat falling perfectly in front of her. A smirk rose to her full lips at the sight of the other granting her a cheeky grin.

"Took you awhile, kitty," the girl exclaimed. "I thought you were going to leave me in the dust."

"Not at all, m'lady." Chat Noir reached over for the girl's hand in order to plant a kiss at the back of it, internally shocked that she didn't pull away. "I was just making sure everything was perfect for our date~ You ready?"

Before she could form her opinion, the boy grabbed a hold of the heroine and carried her up, up, and away to the highest part of the Eiffel tower where they had both agreed to meet. It wasn't long before they found a suitable landing spot for them to resume standing on firm ground. However, instead of just a plain area to greet them, there was a nicely placed table cloth resting on the ground with several accessories to accompany it. These items included perfectly placed eating utensils with their assigned plates of food recently cooked and served. Napkins were also neatly folded on the sides along with two, red, heart shaped candles giving out the lovely scent of cinnamon.

With the beautiful sunset off in the distance and the entire sight of Paris beneath them, this sure appeared like a romantic setting.

The black cat guided the girl over to the pile of stuff he combined together. "I figured that perhaps a picnic date would be a bit more fun than some boring restaurant. I hope I'm right."

"Well, you sure outdid yourself this time, Chat." Ladybug carefully maneuvered over to one side of the table cloth and sat down criss-crossed. "All of this looks exquisite on its own. And these dishes..." She waved her hand to allow some of the food scent to reach her nose and sighed hungrily, remembering she hasn't eaten dinner yet. "...they smell so good and look super fancy. How did you get a hold of all of this?"

"Heh. Let's just say I have my ways." Chat Noir rubbed his nose cheekily before sitting down across from the heroine. "I wanted to make sure everything was more than perfect for you, so I went above and beyond to make it just that. Are you impressed~?"

Ladybug gave her partner a smug look as she set a napkin over her lap. "Don't get too carried away. I've eaten at my fair share of fancy restaurants."

"Yeah, but not fancy picnics."

"Fine. I'll give you that much."

A chuckle escaped the boy which made the girl giggle along. The two then went ahead and feasted on the delicious grub while the light from the setting sun followed through its cycle and covered them from orange to dark purple.

* * *

"I know I've said this plenty of times but, damn, it feels so good to have you back."

Chat Noir leaned back with his arms behind him to help him keep his top half up while he allowed his feet to frolic side to side like a happy little boy. His green eyes stared off towards the horizon just as the sun finally disappeared and soaked in all of the city's lights. But of course, there was nothing more amazing than the girl sitting a few inches away, so his gaze quickly hovered towards her.

Ladybug wiped the last bits of food from the corner of her mouth before she let out a breath of ease after having just gobbled all the food to satisfy her starving stomach. There was a faint roll of eyes after hearing the other's comment, but a smile was present nonetheless.

"You sure did miss me, huh?"

"I think 'miss' is an understatement," the black cat's sentient tail wagged. "More like I yearned for you with every cell in my body. Please don't leave me like that ever again."

For some reason, those words struck a cord deep within that made the girl feel that guilt eat her once more. "I'm sorry, Chat. I really am. But the problems that I was facing...they were difficult to handle. I needed time. Still, guess it isn't an excuse to leave you without a word. I'm so sorry..."

Chat Noir straightened himself up and gave his beloved partner a look of sincerity, that mask covering his perfect complexion. "Don't worry, Ladybug. I understand. Sometimes, life throws you shit you gotta take care of yourself. And sometimes there's no time to tell your beloved ones. It's fine. I'm just glad that you're back and healthy. If you had taken longer, I might've actually traveled all around the world to find you."

It was almost rare to hear such serious words come from the mischievous hero clad in black. It's not to say that there haven't been times where the two spoke heart to heart, but this time around, and perhaps because she's been feeling all ups and downs, his words hit harder. It made her feel embarrassed in a way because Chat Noir was acting more mature about this than she was when she should've been the one to logically figure this out instead of letting her heart do all the talking.

She'll admit there are some things she should learn from Chat.

Ladybug sighed and averted her eyes, a finger shyly making circles on the table cloth. She fought her inner thoughts for a while, giving pause to their current conversation before figuring out whether or not she should have an earnest heart to heart with the black cat.

"Chat, can I...ask you something?"

What was there to lose?

"What's up?"

It's just Chat; why are you suddenly feeling nervous?

"It's just...how do you do it?"

The boy gave a confused look at the heroine and cocked his head a bit. "Do what?"

"Deal with the constant heartbreak from rejection after rejection, deal with the anger from not receiving what you want, deal with...loving me..."

Ladybug bit her lip and completely faced away from the other, hoping he wouldn't notice the emotions that swam across her face. She had allowed him to see her in her weakest state, but at the moment she felt like it wasn't the right time or place. Then again, bringing this up just didn't belong here, not during a date that was supposed to be all Chat's.

Why did she do stuff like this?

Not in a billion years did he expect the girl to bring something like that up to the plate. Sure, there had been a couple of times where she would hint at something similar but to be straightforward like this? It was totally uncalled for. An evening of them just catching up on what they missed had a sudden dark turn...

Well then.

Chat Noir stared for a while at the girl of his dreams whom was now hiding her face from him which could only mean that she was feeling sheltered in some way. Her reserved body language could only signify that this was serious and nothing to joke about. It really wasn't for him to joke about his feelings towards her anyway; anything that dealt with her was honest.

It was just a matter of him putting it into words.

"Hmm..." The black cat turned his attention over to the night sky with its small shimmering orbs of light. If only he could help the girl see with his own eyes just how incomparable she is to the vast, luminous space. She was her own scale. "In all honesty, I don't always deal with all of that as well as I should. I am human after all, so I may sometimes get too riled up."

Pause.

"Yeah, it does suck that you don't feel the same way I do. I sometimes cry about it, heh...sometimes I scream in frustration, and sometimes I want to give up. But once I'm done releasing my emotions, I come back to my senses and remember why I love you. My love for you is stronger than any negative feeling I might encounter, and that alone is what keeps me going."

At the corner of his eye he could see the heroine slowly turn to look at him which motivated him to smile.

"You're too important to me, Ladybug. Your friendship is something I'll cherish for all eternity. Even if you'll never love me, having you in my life alone is more than enough. I love you too much to let you go. Call me selfish or whatever you want, but I don't care. You being you is my everyday inspiration to continue being a better me. _You_ make me want to be someone better."

Chat Noir lowered his eyes from the sky and set them on the girl beside him who was now fully staring at him with eyes that could break any curse. His smile became larger, and he was sure his cheeks were flushed at this point.

"All the pain that I go through is worth all the love I have for you. To me, it doesn't matter if you love me back...umm well sorta because that'd be real nice...but what matters most is your happiness. I love you too much to hurt you with my own wants and needs."

There was a silence then, a well deserved quietness that engulfed the two in peace and tranquility. For a minute, neither said anything and simply looked into each other's eyes almost as if they were exchanging thoughts and emotions.

Ladybug was the first to break contact as she looked away for a while before looking back to the black cat. If only she had the guts to release all the pent up fire dwelling within her core to Adrien just as easily as Chat did to her. Honestly, sometimes the hero clad in black had more experience and control over his own emotions than she did. That was actually very admirable.

Maybe she should let him know about her troubles with her crush...

Or maybe not.

This was Chat's night she offered for him; she wanted it to stay that way.

The girl brushed off the tangles of web she created and grinned brightly at the boy. "I hope you know just how amazing you are, Chat. I'm so glad to have you as my partner."

Hearing those words was like the Holy Grail to him. It pleased him enough to emit a purr and have his alive tail belt to react accordingly. Green eyes glowed like one of the stars up in the sky. "I'm more than blessed to have you as my partner, Ladybug. Really, you are the one thing that makes me so happy to have."

Such sentimental words purified the girl's mind and soul that, for a second, she nearly forgot about her surroundings. Before she could even consider reaching out to give the other a pat on the head, her yo-yo suddenly broke the peace with a beep that signaled to her she received a message. She didn't take the time to check who it was as her brain was more focused on coming to a realization that she was existing in the present.

And it was getting rather late.

"Ahh, whoops. Seems like it's time to bug out," Ladybug commented as she stood up and gave herself a stretch. "Almost lost track of time there."

Chat Noir blinked but followed suit, nodding in agreement. "Time flies when you're having fun~ I also gotta get back considering I have things to do for tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed the date, m'lady. I wouldn't mind making it up to you with another date if you feel like I could've done better~"

"Don't push your luck, kitty. But...I guess it was nice to just sit around and talk. Maybe we can do something like this some other time. Just...let's not always call it a date."

"But a date sounds more romantic~"

"A date sounds like torture."

"Aww..."

The girl chuckled, whipping her yo-yo out and began twirling it in an attempt to start a swing route back home. "Just kidding. It was really nice spending time with you, Chat. Let's catch up later, yeah?"

"Wait, Ladybug!"

The heroine froze in her spot but continued her spinning as bluebell eyes examined the boy reaching out for something. Almost suddenly, there was a bouquet of roses right in her face, each one of them as beautiful as ever with their scent so alluringly wonderful. It nearly caused her to stop her yo-yo, but she did miss a few twirls here in there due to the surprise.

"I got these for you," Chat Noir said with a soft, sweet voice as he bashfully stood there holding the roses with both hands. "I know they're not as gorgeous as you, but it was the closest thing I could get to come close to your majestic beauty."

The girl had no words, but it was certain that no words were needed to describe just how appreciative she was. Her eyes- windows to the soul- sparkled and her plump pink lips gleamed with the help of the moon. Her free hand reached out for the flowers and took a short sniff before setting her attention over to the boy.

"Be careful, kitty. If you keep doing this, I might actually fall in love with you~"

"Oh please do. Want more roses? I can totally get you more!"

Ladybug merely giggled and booped the other's nose. She finally got in proper position to set off but didn't jump off until after she granted her partner another smile that was sweet as honey.

"Nighty night, kitty~"

With that, she was off and disappeared into the distance, leaving the black cat alone but not anywhere near being upset.

"God, I love that girl so much."


	14. Chapter 13

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 13_

_"What she realized was that love was that moment when your heart was about to burst."_

-Steig Larsson

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

"Tikki, spots off."

The crimson creature whirled herself out of transformation and appeared before her human, large eyes gleaming at the sight of Marinette holding a large batch of roses. It was obvious from who it was from, but would the girl put the pieces together? And if she did, would that be a good or bad thing? It had been a rule between Ladybug and Chat Noir to never reveal their identities until further notice...

"Before you only had one rose and now you have a bunch!"

The girl with hair colored like the night sky stood in awe in the middle of her dark room as the smell of roses consumed her surroundings. The single pink rose her crush had given her rested right in the middle of the bouquet; it made it seem like it was the center of attention out of all the other flowers that looked exactly the same. This imagery sent her a message that resided well in her conflicted mind, bringing her at ease.

"I guess I was wrong about having so many roses," Marinette spoke as she made sure each one of them was properly positioned and not ruined. "I know that I had wanted a lot of roses before, but that comes to show that they only appear super special when they're from Adrien. His pink rose is the only one that captivates me the most."

Okay, so the girl didn't put two and two together.

Tikki sweatdropped but decided to keep it as such as she hovered around the girl, enjoying the lovely rose scent. "Are you saying that Chat Noir's roses aren't special?"

"Oh no. Not at all. They're special in their own way but...hmm...how do I put this? I guess it all depends on who gives them to me, you know? Right now, Adrien's rose captures the spotlight. Still, not saying that Chat's roses aren't special, but they don't hold the same...I guess...power? I don't know, it's hard to explain. I appreciate them all, and I'll cherish each one of them. That's the only thing that matters."

Whenever she would explain her feelings towards her partner in fighting crime, it always made it seem like she absolutely hated him even though it was quite the opposite. Chat just didn't uphold the same status as Adrien did, that's all.

"Speaking of such, I should probably find them a vase to put them in." The girl searched around her room for something that could be a vase in order to set the roses in. She was able to find a pencil holder in the meantime as she didn't want to head downstairs and make too much noise 'less her parents hear her and wonder what the hell she was doing up. It wasn't extremely late unlike the last time she went out, but it was still past her curfew, so it was best to not make matters complicated.

"There." Marinette poured the remaining of what she left in her water bottle she had during the day into the pencil holder and placed the roses inside carefully, making sure none got its petals got wrecked. "That should do it for now. I'll have to find a proper vase and a larger one tomorrow."

With her date with Chat Noir out of the way, she settled herself into her bed and got herself ready for a well deserved rest, however, before she ultimately retired for the night, she decided to check her phone one last time for any messages she might've received. Aside from the usual 'Get your ass to bed and sleep like a normal person' text from Alya, there had been another waiting for her eyes to take a peek. Bluebell eyes widened at the name that tagged the message which only urged her to open it and read what it had to say.

**[ Text ]:** Hey Marinette. Just letting you know that I'll be performing again tonight around midnight if you're interested in coming. You don't have to if you don't want to. I understand. My performances are normally extremely late and considering you have school the next day, it's not always a good idea. I just figured I'd let you know. Hope you have a good night and even better dreams. 3

Luka.

At the message the man sent her, Marinette recoiled back into a sitting position and pondered on whether to reply back. And if she were to do so, what was she going to say? It was true that midnight was late for her especially if she would get back home around 3am like last time. She should be more responsible with keeping her sleep schedule consistent at a reasonable time. Should she say she won't be able to make it?

Or should she say 'fuck it' and go?

She hadn't spoken with Luka in a while since the last time they hung out together; she could only assume it was because they were both busy which honestly made sense. She was caught up trying to make up the assignments she missed during her absence- not to mention she spent her time with Adrien during dinner- while he probably was practicing for his performances. There were times when she had wanted to text him and see how he was doing but, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to because she thought she'd be bothering him.

Now that he had messaged her, she felt more inclined to do something back.

It was about to be 11pm...she had time to make it.

"Marinette, is something the matter?" Seeing how her owner hadn't already tucked herself in concerned the kwami.

"You might hate me for this but...Tikki, spots on!"

Just like that, the shocked creature was pulled into transformation once more without knowing why and brought forth Ladybug yet again. There was guilt in the pit of her stomach after having just done that without Tikki's consent, but it wasn't like she was doing anything bad, right? She just needed a faster and safer way to get to the club without alerting her parents.

The red and black spotted heroine took one last look at the collection of roses that rested on her desk and quietly snuck through the roof with a slightly more confident smile upon pink lips.

* * *

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Hmmm...VIP. Your seat is upfront center, the only table with a white cloth. It'll have your name, so you can't miss it. Enjoy your stay."

Unlike the first time she had come around these parts, the girl felt a bit more comfortable walking right up to the bouncer and say she had been invited. It still was rather odd that she had access to the place, let alone to the VIP benefits, but she could only assume it had to do with Luka. At the very least, she knows she's not the only teenager in sight.

Marinette smiled at the bouncer before allowing herself in through the big doors and once more into the loud, chaotic atmosphere that was the world of clubbing. She wasn't sure whether she'll ever get used to the place with all the people moving around aimlessly and the noise that was insanely loud, but as long as she set her focus on where her place was, she can ignore everyone else. It didn't help that she was super small compared to most of the adults around but through perseverance and determination, she was about to make it into the stage area where there was a lot less activity to disturb her.

But something caught her off guard.

Once she reached her table, there was already someone sitting there. She couldn't tell who it was exactly since they're back was towards her, and it all made her question whether she was at the right table or not. Perhaps there was two, and she needed to look elsewhere. Eyes frantically looked around for another table with a white cloth but neither matched the description. Maybe that table was hers and whoever was sitting there had the wrong spot...

"Umm, excuse me?" Marinette leaned in as close as she could to the person in order to be heard. "I think you had the wrong table."

The person turned around and instantly the girl gasped at the sight of someone whom she hadn't thought would be there, although it would've made sense considering the circumstances.

"Holy shit, Marinette! You're actually here?"

It was none other than Luka's sister, Juleka.

"Oh my gosh, Juleka. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here," Marinette quickly apologized. "Of course you'd be a VIP since you're Luka's family after all. Ahh, sorry."

The longer haired girl chuckled and gestured at her friend to sit with her. "No worries, Marinette. I just didn't think you'd show up. I mean, I knew my bro invited you but, I don't know, I guess it wasn't expected. He told me you went to see him the last time, so it makes sense I guess."

The shorter girl giggled nervously as she positioned herself near her friend, although it was actually real nice to know someone she was close with be there with her. It was better than being alone surrounded by a bunch of strangers. "O-Oh yeah. Trust me, I didn't expect me to be here either. It was a last minute thing."

"Same to be honest. I'm just here because I would rather be bored in this place than at home. I don't normally come here frequently considering that sometimes Luka's performances are like during school nights, and mom's all like 'get your ass to bed young lady' and stuff. I was allowed to go out today because I snuck out so technically I wasn't allowed but whatever."

"We're on the same boat then. My parents would never allow me to go out this late on a school night. I won't tell if you don't."

The two girls shared a laugh together, but it had been interrupted suddenly when another person that the blue girl didn't recognized came around and got Juleka's attention. It was a woman who leaned down to whisper something into her friend's ear which made Marinette question everything and nothing at all.

"Ugh, not again. Fine. I'll be there." The woman left the two alone yet again yet, this time, Juleka stood up and pushed her chair in. "Luka's having a wardrobe malfunction, so I have to go fetch him something new. Typical. You wanna join me? I'll just be heading backstage to give him a spare shirt."

"U-umm...am I allowed to go backstage?" Marinette hesitated to leave her seat and waited for the purple tipped girl to reply back.

"Yeah, you're fine. You are a VIP after all, and plus you're with me. The staff already knows me and stuff, so they'll be cool with me bringing you along. I wouldn't want you to sit here alone while you wait for me to come back."

With that answer, the blue girl tucked her chair in and followed her friend through the crowd of people that got between them and the backstage. Performers that had and haven't performed were all gathered there along with staff members that were busy going here and there making sure things were going as intended. Juleka was able to maneuver through the hectic mass without a problem which was completely different from how Marinette would've handled it. She'd get lost and bump into so many people, she'd probably set a world record for most clumsy person.

The goth girl then stopped by a corner with multiple bags placed on shelves. She tipped toed just a tiny bit in order to reach one single, black bag at the second to highest shelf before resuming her trek back through the jumble of people. She would make sure Marinette was still following her every now and then considering she was new around these parts. But her friend was a smart cookie even if she was awkward as all hell, so she'd be able to memorize this quickly if she were to ever decided to head backstage for whatever reason.

"Alright, bro. Here's your damn shirt."

The two arrived at an area that looked much like the same as all the other areas they came across- people everywhere creating such a commotion. Juleka made her way towards her brother who had been standing at a strange angle opposite from where the girls had entered. Somehow the long black haired girl knew exactly where to look despite the blue girl just standing there with all of these tall people brushing by her. For a moment, she had lost track of her friend but almost miraculously did the amount of people reduced in size, allowing her access to see Juleka standing next to a shirtless man as she handed him a shirt from the bag she carried.

And it seemed like ovaries just exploded.

Nicely chiseled back shimmered under the dim lighting, beads of some sort of liquid slithered down fair skin, and dark ink that formed a symphony of musical notes painted the right side. The sight only got worse (or better in this case) once the man turned around to present his similar breathtaking chest that intensified when muscles contract. Another set of notes were stitched a bit beneath his collar and droplets of whatever seemed to just have owned the body, and the girl wouldn't blame them for wanting to take ownership of such an immensely attractive individual.

Oh no he's hot!

"Marinette, you made it!"

Without even a warning, Luka made his way over to Marinette who had been put in a trance and didn't realize it until the last second that the other hand wrapped his arms around her, only making her hormones rage even more.

"Dude, don't touch Marinette like that." Juleka stepped in and dragged her brother away from her friend, ultimately saving her. "Dry up and put on the shirt at least. Don't get her dirty with those sticky juices on you."

The man gave an apologetic glance over at the blue girl before grabbing a hold of a towel a staff member gave him and began drying off. All the while Marinette was entirely gone from this world and into netherland or something. She barely had time to react to anything that just happened.

"It's like you guys are kids," the goth girl grumbled as she helped remove the liquid from behind her brother's back. "Why did you ever think having someone pour juice all over you would've been a fun idea?"

"We were just messing around, Jules. We didn't cause any harm."

"Except maybe forced the staff to have extra cleaning to do and have me to come all the way back here just to give you a shirt. I'm surprised your pants didn't get wet too."

"A bit, but it's nothing. I'll be fine."

Juleka simply shook her head and set the dirty towels aside. Luka placed the new shirt over his exposed top half before finally taking the time to turn around and give Marinette his full attention. "Sorry about that, Marinette. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

_What the fuck did he say?! Oh shit, come on, Mari. He said something. Say something back! Snap out of it!_

"You're so hot..."

_No, dumbass!_

"I-I mean...yeah it's r-real h-hot in here."

_Ugh whatever. That's a wrap._

The blue tipped man tilted his head to the side but merely chuckled at the girl and gave her a pat on the head. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Good thing I got cool juice poured all over me, huh?" At that statement, he gave a cheeky grin towards his sister who just stood there rolling her eyes. "I'm still sorry about what I did. I got a bit excited to see you here. I'm so glad you were able to make it."

I'm so glad I was able to see your sexy shirtless self.

Marinette shook her head to remove those vulgar thoughts from her head and rubbed the back of her neck, attempting so hard to appear normal and not make it seem like she just wet her own self. "I-I'm glad I was able to m-make it too...ahaha..."

Luka smiled at the smaller girl before turning back to his sister and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Glad you'll be around to keep Marinette from being alone. Sometimes the crowd out there can be obnoxious. But I have to get ready now. We'll be performing soon. You girls should take your spots before it gets too flooded out there."

Juleka nodded and wished her brother to 'break a leg' before setting the wet shirt inside the bag and carried it along with her. "Alright. Let's head back, Marinette."

The dazed girl just went along with whatever people would tell her at the moment, so she obeyed and followed her friend but not after she wished the same phrase to the man. "Break a leg, Luka. B-but don't actually because t-that would be real bad."

Why did she...?

_God, girl, keep it together._

Once the girls made their way, Luka stood there with a genuine smile on his lips as he looked after the two disappeared within the crowd. Seeing Marinette after days was rejuvenating, and it only gave him more motivation to do his damn best on tonight's performance.

"Alright, guys. Let's do our best performance yet."


	15. Chapter 14

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 14_

_"Some old wound never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word."_

-George R.R Martin

* * *

**TW: Strong Language/Slight Body Horror**

* * *

_"So many times we're staring down the barrel of a gun_

_I know you care, open eyes stare_

_It's breaking up my bones_

_I wanna lie_

_But I don't care to try_

_We're taking off_

_We're taking off baby_

_We're taking off_

_I know you know_

_It breaks up my bones"_

The crowd went wild.

Among the explosion of energy were two individuals that could no longer remain seated at their respective table. The two girls jumped in eccentric joy, cheering after the performance had come to a close to blend along with the rest of the exhilarated people who were just as pleased. The performers. The Thespians, waved at the crowd before making their exit. The lead singer and guitarist, Luka, remained for a few seconds in order to personally grant a wave and a smile towards his biggest motivation, the blue girl named Marinette.

At the sudden attention, Marinette blushed slightly and returned the gesture, bashfully watching the man on stage disappeared behind the sidelines. The girl had been too caught up with Luka that she nearly forgot she had been with his sister this whole time and was brought back to life at the sound of her voice.

"Bro is super fucking amazing, right?"

The blue girl blinked twice before giving out a wide smile towards her friend and nodded in agreement. "He's incredibly talented. You're lucky to have him as your brother."

Juleka grinned and brushed her bangs away from her face only to have them return back in place. "Even though he can sometimes be a little annoying, you know, normal sibling stuff, I love him a bunch and am glad that he's pursuing his dream." The tick from the foul volume of noise surrounding them pissed the goth girl enough to step away from their table and signal to her friend to follow. "He finished his performance anyway, so let's head upstairs to someplace more quiet. He'll meet up with us once he's done doing whatever."

Marinette obeyed and followed the other through the cluster of people towards the stairs. Up and away they went until they reached the highest floor where little to no people resided much to both girls' comfort. It had been the same area that Luka took the blue girl the last time she was here, so she felt a bit more confident in this space since she knew about it.

"You thirsty?" Juleka motioned her friend towards the bar where they both took their seats and ordered their own non-alcoholic beverages. "I'd totally order a Pastis if it wasn't a school night."

"A Pastis?"

"Don't tell anyone but yeah I drink alcohol every now and then, mostly when I come around here during the weekends and stuff. But hey, I'm responsible with it at least. I don't drink too much to make me sick. Plus, I'm sure that most teenagers that come around here have taken a taste at least once."

Marinette sat with a face of embarrassed uncertainty at the statement her friend just boldly made. Her silence alone was enough to make Juleka retract and withdraw her look from the other.

"Well...almost everyone."

The two girls then shared a laugh and, if this had been a video game of some sort, they'd collected a lot of friendship points after coming into terms with the blue girl who had never touched alcohol in her life before and with the purple tipped girl who has taken a few shots here and there. They respected each other's way of living, and that was what made their relationship that much positive.

"Did I miss a joke?"

In the middle of their exchanged laughter, a new voice joined in that caused the girls to turn around and set their eyes on the sweaty man who had just finished a fantastic performance. He took a seat besides Marinette and made her the middle person between the Couffaines, causing her to color her cheeks a pretty pink.

"Don't worry about it," Juleka replied just as the bartender arrived with the girls' drinks. "You want something to drink?"

"I'm good actually." Luka dismissed the bartender who then made his way over to the other side of the bar to clean up some glasses. "I drank too much water after the performance. Tonight has been heavy for some reason. I got overheated a lot more than I should've."

"Are you okay?" the blue girl chimed in with a worried look on her youthful face which brought the man to smile softly at her concern.

"I'm fine, Marinette. I'm just a bit exhausted, that's all. I'll most likely sleep the minute my head hits the pillow."

"You did go hard this time," the goth girl said as she took a sip from her drink. "Does this mean we'll be able to head home sooner than most times? I'm so ready to leave this place."

Luka chuckled and leaned back to give his sister some eye contact. "If you hate this place, why did you bother to come?"

"Because I didn't want to be home, and I also was in the mood to see you perform. I'm glad I did because you actually did pretty fucking good."

"I second that." Marinette piped in and smiled brightly at the man sitting beside her, her bluebell eyes meeting with the other's own. "You did amazing, Luka. I hope some time you'll record yourself, so I can listen to you whenever I want."

At the declaration he had never expected to hear, Luka sat properly and kept his lock on the girl's eyes in fear he was being delusional and she really didn't say that. But that face, that pretty face that made his heart uncontrollable, was far too real and could never be seen as an illusion. She was authentic and whatever god existed placed her here for him to adore with all of the moondust he was made out of.

"You...You'd like to have my songs in your playlist?"

The realization that such words escaped her mouth brought the blue girl to shrivel on the inside. Of course, it wasn't because had said anything bad, but she didn't think before speaking like she normally did, and now she felt like she placed herself in the spotlight. What was she to say? Yeah, she greatly enjoyed listening to him and wished she had other ways for her to keep him close, so she can listen to his voice as many times as she wanted? That sounded a bit too...much. And it didn't help that the man was staring at her, waiting for her answer which only bundled her nerves even more.

"U-Umm...well..."

But before she could answer, she suddenly spotted a rather large man making his way over to the trio and stood right behind Luka. Feeling another presence, the blue tipped man turned around just in time to have the other unknown figure leaned down to whisper something in his ear before standing up straight and stood by.

"Alright, I'll be there." Luka said with a sigh as he stood up and gave each girl a smile. "I'll be right back. This shouldn't take long."

The two girls were equally confused as they kept their eyes on the man as he exited the room with the other without having an explanation whatsoever about what all that was about. They simply returned to their drinks and decided to wait until Luka returned to them.

"That dude was one of the band members," Juleka informed. "Probably had a couple of things left to do before they can actually leave for the night."

* * *

Hoodie slump itself down aching shoulders as the signature Jagged Stone shirt exposed its tainted spots of dirt and weirdly iron colored substance.

"Fuck..."

Upon reaching the restroom and the mirror it provided, the sight of bruises and cuts could be evident on once fair skin from the length of his arms to the left side of his face. One eye swelled up a tad but luckily did not form a black eye although it did stung more than it should which was a problem.

"Shit..."

Sore hands reached forward towards the sink to begin washing every inch of him and make sure there wasn't any evidence left behind of what had happened. There was only so much he could though as he did not have the power to magically remove all cuts and bruises from his person. A finger rose up to wipe the lone droplet of blood that had managed to stain the corner of his mouth.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..."

The man rested himself against the sink and hung his head in shame. Clearly can he hear the voices in his head degrade him for the actions he had committed that night, and he was sure no matter where he turned, it will haunt him for who knows how long. He and many others told him to stop, but there was only so much his brain can handle before he gave in. He hated himself for being weak and giving into temptation, but he supposed the next thing he can do is learn from his mistakes and continue moving forward.

If only it was that easy.

* * *

"Yeah, I think I'm fine sticking with Kitty Section for the meantime," the goth girl exclaimed as she took her last sip from her drink. "As much as I enjoy playing music with my bro, I don't think I see myself doing the same thing he is. That lifestyle is too much for me."

The blue girl listened attentively and nodded, setting aside her matched finished drink. "Fair enough. It's good to have you in Kitty Section either way. Whatever you want to do with your life, I wish you the best."

"Thanks, Marinette. That means a lot to me." Juleka turned to look over at her friend and was about to ask her about her dreams before her thought process got interrupted by the sight of her brother appearing behind the blue girl looking entirely beaten down. "Luka, what happened to you?!"

At the sudden outburst, Marinette followed her friend's glance and gasped once bluebell eyes rested on the man that had once been in one piece. He appeared like a completely different person, and it worried her more than words can say. "Luka, are you okay?!"

What happened between the time he left and now?

Luka sighed but forced a smile towards both girls as he now carried his guitar behind his back, adjusting it slightly. "I'm fine. There was a fight downstairs, and I intervened when I probably shouldn't have." A hurt chuckle left his pained lips. A hand of his reached out to pat the blue girl who looked at him with eyes that could make him surrender without question. "I didn't get as badly hurt as the others did, so don't worry. I'll be fine after a first aid and good night's sleep."

Marinette felt a sting in her eye, an early sign of tears, and carefully grew closer to the man to gently rest her hands upon his torso that was dirty from whatever it may had been. "Luka...I'm so sorry that happened. You have a good heart to had tried to stop the fight. Let's take you home and hopefully have your mom and Juleka patch you up."

An angel she was truly, and it only made all of this make him even worse.

"Thank you, Marinette."

Juleka didn't say another word as she merely nodded and helped her brother carry his guitar, guiding him out of the building with the help of her friend. Once they reached the parking lot and the exact black car Marinette was given a ride the last time she came around, the goth girl sat in the backseat with the guitar while the blue girl was given permission to sit on the passenger seat besides the man who took the wheel. But before they could drive off, Juleka interfered.

"Luka, are you sure you can drive like this? I can call Mom to come pick us up."

"Don't worry, Jules. I can still drive just fine." Luka adjusted his rearview mirror to give him access to his sister sitting in the backseat with such a distraught look on her face. His stomach did many twists and turns with that view now engraved in his brain, and the image gain a new partner when his eyes caught sight of Marinette appearing like she was close to crying.

His body was physically in pain, but his emotional state was way worse.

He had wanted to say something to the girl sitting next to him but couldn't find the right words at the moment, so he instead started up the car and headed out of the parking lot towards the street that would lead him to Marinette's house.

The entire ride was dead silent except for the occasional humming of the car and other outside noises that would sneak their way inside. The party that consisted of three individuals were all down in the dumps and neither knew what to say that could possibly make the situation better. The only thing that could make them all feel better was to give the man the medical attention he needed. Everything else didn't matter.

The car ride to the bakery lasted hours when normally it would've been mere minutes.

Upon the arrival of the blue girl's home, Luka made sure to park as quietly as he could in front of the building and unlocked the doors for Marinette to be allowed out. Both of his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly the more he wanted to talk to the girl he loved with all his heart and soul. But nothing came up in his blank mind, and it only made him feel extra guilty.

"Luka, please take care."

At the sound of the angelic voice he had grown to love more than any other melody, Luka turned to look at Marinette and was taken aback when she leaned forward to plant yet another kiss on his cheek. A soft, warm hand of hers also found its way to caress that exact spot while ocean eyes gently cradled his own and easily brought him to a calmer state of mind.

"Once you get home, please attend to your wounds," the blue girl hummed. "Then get a good night's rest. Don't force yourself to do too much until you're fully healed, okay? Text me if you ever need anything, and I'll be there. If you don't mind, I'll come check up on you whenever I can. I want you to be okay."

At the release of the girl's hand almost made the man whine like a sad puppy, and it was clear in his face that he didn't want to let her go, not during this moment of need. But he knew he had to let her leave, so he simply and defeatedly smiled towards his beloved with eyes that spoke louder than words.

"I will. Thank you, Marinette. Hope you have a goodnight and sweet dreams."

_I love you so much._

Marinette released a breath then forced her legs to move her out of the vehicle. She leaned in one last time in order to face her friend in the backseat. "Goodnight, Juleka. I know you'll take good care of your brother. I'll see you tomorrow at school." And with that, the blue girl closed the door behind her before making her way to the side of the building to enter the open storage room and vanish from sight.

This left the two siblings to make their way back home without saying a word to each other until they reached their destination to which Juleka whispered with a harsh but worried voice before exiting the car.

"You can lie to Marinette, but you can't lie to me."

* * *

OOC: The song that Luka sang was _**Breaking Up My Bones by Vinyl Theatre. **_If you have free time, go check it out. ^^

Edit: Also I just want to make it clear that the legal age or driving in France is 18 but people can start driving as early as 16. Luka is younger than 18.


	16. Chapter 15

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 15_

_"Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure."_

-Paulo Coelho

* * *

OOC: This chapter has been edited. More story has been added so please read it full in order to understand the following chapter. Thank you.

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

"You seriously need to stop staying up so late, girl. That's how you gain insomnia."

Marinette groaned as she shook herself awake, giving out a huge yawn while her hands went back to collecting her supplies in order to stuff them into her backpack. She hadn't realized it until her best friend poked at her that she had zoned out entirely for the last few minutes of class. The bags under her eyes were evidence enough to prove that she did not get a good night's rest.

"I tried so hard, Alya. I really did." The blue girl threw her bag over her shoulder and headed towards the door with her best friend following suit. "I just had so many thoughts last night."

"Thoughts like what? Don't tell me you were up all night thinking about boys."

"Yeah..."

"Girl, come on!"

"B-but it's not what you think! It's..." But Marinette cut herself short as she pondered whether or not she should let Alya know about the events that happened the night prior. She felt like they were private matters and considering how Juleka didn't attend school today, it was perhaps for the best she kept her mouth shut in the meantime. "...it's complicated."

"You're the definition of complicated," the sunkissed girl teased and just then her eyes caught sight of her man making his way towards them. "I can never completely understand you, but at least I try to. So what's bothering you this time?"

Nino joined the two and gave his girlfriend a hug before granting Marinette a wave. "Sup dudes."

"Hey, Nino," Marinette greeted but went back to the earlier conversation. "Alya, I'm sorry, but it's something real personal that I can't tell you about. It has to deal with others that I feel need to give consent before I can say anything to you."

"Whoa. Are you serious? What the hell are you doing behind my back, girl?"

"I-It's nothing major or anything, but please understand that I just can't say anything right now."

"Yo, what did I miss?" the boy spoke up after finishing up chewing a cracker he stuffed inside his mouth. "Is Marinette part of the mafia now or what?"

"She might as well be. She can be hella mysterious sometimes," Alya added on but smiled gently at her best friend to let her know she understood. "We're just joking, Mari. Unless you're actually part of the mafia then please don't kill us or our families."

"Yeah, dude. I'll give you all the free mixtapes if you spare us."

The couple laughed it out as Marinette rolled her eyes but joined in the laughter, feeling relieved that her friends were around to distract her even just a tiny bit. Although, would it actually be a whole lot easier for her to say she was part of the mafia than explaining she was a superhero? One sounded more realistic than the other despite both of them being completely outrageous.

"Don't sweat it," Alya was the first to return back to the conversation and patted her best friend's back. "Whatever it may be, I hope it'll turn out for the better. Just know that I'll be here to listen if you need someone and are allowed to disclose information about whatever is happening. I swear if this is all just an elaborate scheme about Adrien..."

"What about me?"

Somehow, the blond always appeared whenever the trio ended up talking about him- almost as if he's secretly stalking them or something.

"Hey, Adrien. Yeah, Marinette was probably up all night thinking about you-"

"No I wasn't! Shutthefuckup!" The blue girl shoved her hands over her best friend's mouth to shut her up and smiled nervously towards the overly handsome model before her. "I actually wasn't thinking about you or, umm, n-not saying that I wouldn't because who wouldn't stay up all night thinking about those sweet lips and beautiful eyes and-ahhhh y-yeah! Not thinking about you or anything ahahaha!"

Marinette, you're such a dumbass.

Adrien tilted his head a bit with a reasonable confused look to him but merely smiled at his friend. "Ah, okay. I wouldn't want someone to stay up all night thinking about me. That would be bad if it means they'll be missing their sleep."

I would so totally pull all nighters just to force my brain to think about you and only you.

"U-uh, y-yeah! Exactly! That's why I was not doing that. Ahaha..."

The blue girl's hands had been removed from the sunkissed girl's mouth by the very same person herself who got attacked. If she hadn't been careful, one of those fingers would've poked her eye out from under her glasses.

"Whatever you say, Marinette. Whatever you say." Alya and Nino then shared a wink with each other before the girl spoke yet again. "Say Adrien, you're gonna be taking Marinette out to dinner again today? Just wondering because you two have been spending time together a lot lately, so you know~"

Marinette sent daggers towards her best friend but, as always, Alya was unaffected by her death glare.

"Hmm? Oh, well, yeah actually. I figured since she had been absent for a week, I could do something for her to help her feel better in a way." The blond set his green eyes solely on the blue girl who's face could be mistaken for a tomato at this point. "That is if Marinette wants to join me, of course."

She hated being put on the spotlight. She absolutely fucking hated it.

All eyes were on her as they all waited for her answer. She really wished she could just have a normal day without having Alya messing with her by using Adrien against her. It didn't help that Nino just stood by and watched it all go down but, considering how the odds were against her, she didn't exactly blame him.

"I, uh, I would love-"

Just then, like a flash of lightning, did the image of a beaten Luka presented itself to her mind, causing her to stop midtrack and rethink her words.

Since the moment she arrived at school today and noticed Juleka was missing, her first thought process was to pay the Couffaines a visit once she was done with classes. Her second option was to just text either of them and ask how Luka was doing yet, for some reason, she felt the need to go see them herself. Something didn't sit right with her ever since last night, and she needed to get some sort of revelation in order to calm her nerves. She was prone to thinking the worst case scenario and for her to stop worrying so much, she had to get something to ease her mind.

Even if it meant abandoning her dinner date with Adrien.

"I'm sorry, Adrien. I would love to go eat with you, but I have something very important to do. Maybe, if I have time and if you want to, once I'm done we can do something later?"

She really hoped he would reconsider giving her another chance because this week has been the only week she had been able to do anything solo with Adrien, and it meant so much to her.

The blond gave a slight frown for a brief second before it turned into smile and reached over to place a hand upon her thin shoulder. "It's fine, Marinette. I understand. I won't be able to do anything else after dinner later though, but I will have tomorrow off, so we can hang out until then if you'd like. It's be nice to spend some time with a good friend without worrying about restrictions."

Good friend...

. . .

Stay focused.

A forced but also relieved smile spread across plump lips while bluebell eyes stared longingly at the gorgeous mint green ones before her. "Yeah, we can hang out tomorrow."

Adrien's smile grew at the sound of that. He removed his hand from the girl and turned himself around just as his limousine arrived. "Tomorrow it is then. I'll text you to let you know when I'm completely free, okay? I'll see you later." With a wave, the boy stepped down the stairs of the school's entrance and disappeared behind expensive metal on wheels before being drove off towards presumably his mansion.

Everyone else except Marinette remained quiet and in disbelief about what had just happened. The stuttering girl talking normally with the boy she had a mad crush on? And not only that but denying a dinner date with him? What?

"Well, guys, I guess I better go now too. I have to take care of some things."

The blue girl waved at both her friends before making her way down to the sidewalk and began walking away towards her desired destination. And the couple stood there in awe before Alya was the first to break the silence and tug at her hair.

"What the hell is going on?!"

* * *

"Thank you."

The black cab drove away back into the busy streets of Paris, leaving the blue girl at her destination after a short five minute drive. She had been lucky to have some change laying around in her bag in order to pay for a ride to the houseboat or else it might've taken her much longer to get there. Considering that she had left right after school meant that she only had a limited amount of time before it would get dark out, and that was a huge no-no. Perhaps she'd be lucky to get a ride back home once all of this is dealt with yet, at the same time, she understood that maybe neither of the Couffaines were up to the task- she has been getting free rides from them lately, so it would only make sense they'd get tired of doing the exact same time every time they would see her.

Or at least Luka would.

Normally, Juleka was around whenever she set foot on the floating house, meaning that she had permission to walk on the wooden plank that lead into the patio of the boat and into the front entrance. However, since the goth girl wasn't around, Marinette wasn't entirely sure whether she could do exactly that or she had to ring a doorbell of some sort before she could make her way into the patio.

She didn't see anything that could resemble a doorbell though...

Ahh, what should she do?

"Ahoy there, wee one." A new voice thundered from her far right, loud enough for the blue girl to squeak in shock. "Wha' are ye doin' here?"

Marinette turned her head over towards the sound of the voice and nervously fiddled with her fingers when she realized who it was and felt completely embarrassed. "O-Oh, hello, Ms. Couffaine. S-Sorry to have intruded but I, umm, wanted to come by and talk with Juleka and Luka. I-If you don't mind..."

The grey hair of the pirate aesthetic Anarka bounced swiftly behind her back as she made her way closer to the newcomer that had come close to her houseboat named Liberty. "Shiver me timbers, Marinette, aren't ye? Ye're welcome here t' natter t' me sprogs any time ye like. But I 'ave t' say that me youngest lass ain't around right now but me lad be if ye don't mind natterrin' t' jus' 'im fer now."

Sometimes it was rather hard to understand whatever Anarka was talking about but, luckily, this time she could get some insight on the topic being spoken about.

"Yeah, I actually wanted to talk with Luka first anyway. Umm, do you know where he is exactly?"

Something about the way the elder woman looked at Marinette gave her a twisted feeling that she wasn't entirely happy with the outcome that her son had received from the night prior. Made her wonder just how bad the man had actually been hurt to cause such distress.

"He's in his cabin practicin' his musical skills. Ye can nah wench 'im." And that was the only thing Anarka said before she turned back around to focus on whatever task she had been working on before the girl interrupted her.

This strange treatment only made the blue girl worry even more than she already was, but she made her way over the plank and towards the main entrance into the houseboat without a complaint. She quietly walked through the halls that would've been completely silent if it weren't for the faint sound of guitar strings, signaling that Luka was doing exactly as his mother had told her. Maybe she had interpreted this all wrong because if the man was really hurt, then he wouldn't have been able to play anything.

Right?

Upon reaching the desired room, Marinette carefully leaned against the slightly opened door to catch a glimpse of the blue tipped man inside. He was sitting on his bed, his back towards her much like the time she had come in during the sleepover days ago. From this perspective, he seemed just fine, doing his usual activity- nothing out of the ordinary. But she couldn't be 100% sure until she went in and talked to him.

This time, she gave a knock.

And this time, he gave permission.

"Yes, come in."

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OOC: I have been struggling with mental health so chapters might be short for a while. I will do my best to keep them coming at a regular schedule.


	17. Chapter 16

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 16_

_"Was it you or I who stumbled first? It does not matter. The one of us who finds the strength to get up first, must help the other."_

_-_Vera Nazarian

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OOC: I edited Chapter 15 and added a bit more story to it. Please go back to read it in order to make sense of this chapter. Thank you.

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**TW: Strong Language**

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The lack of eye contact was what bothered her the most; the refusal of gaining some sort of connection from the greeting made it seem like she wasn't wanted and perhaps it had been wrong to come here in the first place. But she was already this far in, she might as well keep going until a dead end became a certainty.

Marinette slowly entered the room and kept a distance between the two, her body language doing a major part of speaking for her. She was almost curled up in a stance as though she was shelling herself and making sure she wouldn't step out of line. Bluebell eyes rested on the man sitting on the bed, still playing his guitar and still not looking up to see her. She wasn't sure whether she should say something first or wait until she was spoken to but considering how Luka was not making an effort to do the latter, she might as well say a word and then evaluate the situation to come up with the best solution.

"Hey..."

It startled her by how quickly the man put a break on his activity and finally set his focus on her after a single word spewed from her mouth. Perhaps it was the fact that her appearance was so unexpected that caused him to jerk suddenly, which honestly made a whole lot of sense. If someone visited her without a warning in advance, she'd be a little jumpy herself too. She just hoped she didn't come at a wrong time...

"M-Marinette? I didn't expect to see you here." Luka stood up from the bed in order to set his instrument back into its case before a hand combed through his hair, feeling the need to fix something about himself at least. "Come in. Have a seat." He motioned for her to sit with him on the bed as his hands still fidgeted around his frame to look somewhat presentable. "How have you been?"

Now that she had a better look at him, she could clearly see the markings the night before had placed upon such a tender soul. It broke her heart to see him such a state despite his condition not looking anywhere near fatal. Just the thought of him getting hurt was enough to tug at her strings in an uncomfortable way. The most noticeable mark was the bruise on his left eye, swollen and dark, something clearly not capable of being covered.

Who knows how the rest of his body looked.

"I should be asking you that," Marinette said in a gentle voice as she took her seat besides Luka and continued to examine his face that was still handsome despite the damage it received. "I hope you don't mind me coming without warning, but I really wanted to see how you were doing. I'm sorry but after last night, I couldn't help myself but worry about you."

At the sound of such words made the man's chest tighten from guilt of making his beloved worry and relief from knowing the girl had him on her mind. It made him want to reach out to hold her and never let her go, but he knew every single thing he wanted to do to her was out of the question, so he simply remained seated and kept his eyes on her fragile frame.

"I didn't mean to worry you so much, Marinette. I'm terribly sorry. But there is really no need to worry too much. I'm fine. I'm still a bit sore, but that's normal. Plus, I was able to go to work today, so that's good, right? I'm fine."

Deep down, he wasn't, but that's none of her problem.

Anyone she cared deeply for getting hurt in any way would always sting her heart as she wasn't around to protect them as either Marinette or Ladybug. She knew there wasn't anything she could've done to prevent it from happening since she had no idea it was going to happen in the first place. It was all in the past anyway, so the least she could do was to support him until he was at full health once more.

"I'll always worry no matter what. That's just who I am. But I'm glad you're doing a little better than last night. I wish that fight didn't happen, so you wouldn't be in this mess." She took a pause before a question rushed to her head. "Wait, you work?"

The man gave a nod followed by a smile. "Thank you for worrying about me. It means a lot. But yes, I do. I don't think I've ever told you, but I do have a part-time job at a tattoo shop. Just something to do to gain a little bit more income."

"You work at a tattoo shop? And you went to work after last night? Luka, I'm sure your boss would've given you at least a day off until you recovered a bit more..."

"Yeah, I could've, but I didn't want to. I was already feeling like shit just laying around letting mom and Juleka take care of me. Jules took the day off from school just to make sure I was okay and, yeah, she did get upset about me heading off to work, but I just can't stand seeing my family do so much for me, and I just sit around and do nothing."

"But that's what a good family is," Marinette reached out to carefully tucked a few strands of blue hair behind the man's ear as to prevent it from poking his delicate eye. "To look after you when you're sick. I'm sure you'd do the same for the both of them."

At the gentle touch of the girl, Luka gave a sigh and tilted his head a bit towards the side where she had tucked his hair, imagining her warm hand against him. "Of course I would. But I am the man of the house, and I feel it's my responsibility to look after them more than them looking out for me. That's why I work, to help pay the bills and other necessities. I can't let some minor inconvenience stop me from doing just that."

She understood completely where the man was coming from- being a lone child in her stance felt like she had to do everything for her parents to be okay but, not only that, she also had the job of taking care of every civilian in Paris. She had to do everything she could to keep everyone safe even if she was sick...or at least that's what she hoped to accomplish since she failed for a whole week.

Yet with such knowings of the topic, she knew well that he wasn't going to change his mind no matter how much she told him to. He was just as determined as she was.

"Okay," the girl gave a breath in defeat. "Just as long as you don't push yourself too hard, then you're fine."

"Thank you, Marinette."

Then there was an awkward silence between them, something that wasn't normal for them. It made Marinette think there was still something going on, but she wouldn't push it if she had no business with it. She would just trust him to let her know when the time is right.

"So about your work..." She figured she might as well talk about something to break the silence. "...I didn't know you could do tattoos. That's really amazing. Is that where you got yours?"

Not considering she would be interested in his work, the change of topic took his off guard, but a smile on his eager lips said he was more than happy to talk to her about his second favorite passion. "Yeah, I know how to do tattoos. I was always interested in them ever since I found out they existed. It's drawing on a canvas, that canvas being your body, and it's an interesting way to express yourself. All the designs you can do and put them on your skin...just something about that pulls me in, and that's how I began to self teach. I was familiar with the basics when I entered my job, so the rest was actually a lot more simpler. It's something I enjoy, and I meet a lot of wonderful people there."

At the mention of the girl asking him about his tattoos made him ponder a bit on how she knew he had any and wondered if he had told her about them some time before. "But, yeah, I do have two tattoos, and they were from there. Couldn't really put them on myself because they're in places I can't reach. But I'm sorry, Marinette, I don't remember telling you about them before."

The girl attentively listened to every word that came from that very mouth she had gotten a kiss from, although perhaps it had been better to not think about such a thing or else she'll end up getting flustered out of the blue, and she wouldn't know how to get out from it without stuttering nonsense. It wasn't like she wasn't interested in the things he was saying; she enjoyed hearing him talking about things he was passionate about, but her heart was strange and would add things that weren't necessary to make it that much more exaggerated.

And much like all the other times she had said things she couldn't take back, that was exactly what she had done mere seconds ago.

Marinette felt her cheeks warm up immensely as bluebell eyes frantically looked around to try and find something to distract her gaze while she tried to come up with an excuse. Of course, Luka never told her he had tattoos, and she only knew because she stared at him last night when he had his shirt off like a horny teenager ready to pounce. How could she let him know that? She'd be labeled as a creep.

"U-Ummm...w-well...I-I..."

_What assetry will you come up with this time?_

"I-I...you didn't tell me at all! I-I just happen to, umm, know m-magic and, uhh, g-guess?"

_Wow._

Luka raised an eyebrow, looking confused for a while, before something clicked in his mind and he mustered up a chuckle. "Ah, I remember I had my shirt off last night after getting juice poured all over me. That's probably how you were able to see them, right?"

_Fuck._

_He figured it out._

_Of course he would. He isn't a dumbass like you._

Marinette had no words and simply smiled nervously at the man who simply smiled back and suddenly reached the bottom of his shirt, almost as if he was going to lift it up which sent the girl into hysterics.

"You wanna have a better look at them?"

_Yes please, daddy._

The girl still had nothing to say and could only feverishly stare at the other's face instead of allowing her eyes to wander off to places not allowed. Her face was the color of Mars, and she was certain her internal screams were going to explode from her and cause a shipwreck.

"I'm just kidding." Luka reached over to gently pat the girl's head before setting both hands on his sides and curved his neck in order to pop it. "Considering what happened to me, I don't think my damaged body is something I want to show you. Maybe some other time."

Why did she feel upset about that? Was she legit ready to drool all over an attractive figure?

_You're so gross._

Marinette blinked and anxiously gave a giggle while a hand rubbed the back of her neck. "Y-yeah that's f-fair." Putting her hormones aside, she was still concerned about his well being and was only reminded of that after he mentioned it. To be honest, she wasn't sure why she was expecting anything clean and spotless from the man after what happened to him; she was sure she would've immediately stopped giving him googly eyes and worry about any scars he might've gotten.

"But that does bring up a question," Luka said as he kept his own stare at the most beautiful girl in the entire world. "Have you considered getting tattoos yourself?"

Luckily, the change of topic brought the girl to return back to her senses and reply as intended. "Actually, no. I haven't looked too much into tattoos to want one. Besides, I'm not good with needles, so that probably won't happen."

The man gave a nod of understatement. "Perfectly reasonable. Your body is perfect with or without tattoos."

The compliment she had just received caused the girl to resume her bashful self yet, this time, she wasn't overly freaking the fuck out. She simply locked eyes with the other's own and wanted nothing more than to stay there and drink up every ounce of affection he gave to her. After so much shit she had gone through, she needed it, and she was certain Luka needed it just as much.

_"You're better than perfect, Luka."_

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OOC: Much like I mentioned in Chapter 15, I'm going through dealing with mental health, so chapters might be shorter or a bit late. I will do my best to keep updating regularly. Thank you.


	18. Chapter 17

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 17_

_"To find a prince, you gotta kiss some toads."_

-Foxy Brown

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OOC: Thank for you all the support, lovelies. It means a lot to me to know that you all care enough to be patient with me while I go through such a rough patch in my life. Your support gives me motivation to keep writing, so thank you all so much. 3

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**TW: Strong Language**

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"Yep. That is exactly what you said."

A symphony of groans escaped the full pout of the girl as cheeks were washed up with a crimson tint. Palms reached up to cover bluebell eyes in an attempt to hide herself from the creature floating right in front of her whom just informed her of a couple of things she had wished hadn't been real. She also used this technique as a chance to rub the exhaustion from her eyeballs that had woken up mere minutes ago after a rude awakening from her dumb alarm that she completely forgot to disable.

It was a Saturday, for crying out loud. There was no need for her to wake up so goddamn early.

"It had all been so surreal, Tikki, I thought for sure it was all in my head."

The day prior Marinette had been with the Couffaines for the evening. She spent most of her time with the lone man of the house, Luka, due to her worry about the things that had befallen him and also because the rest of the family had been out and about doing their own thing. The conversations exchanged between the two individuals had been decent and nothing out of the ordinary; it did put an ease to her worries upon seeing how the man was calm and collected despite the situation. She figured things were going to be alright.

And then she ended up saying something that had completely turned the tide around.

According to the red kwami, she had called Luka _'better than perfect'_ and, in all honesty, she barely remembered that part...or she rather just tried not to remember. The rest had all been a blur but thankfully, all due to Tikki being an eavesdropper, she gathered the rest of the missing details, and it only made her wish she hadn't asked. Apparently, she completely went loose and revealed things she hadn't had control over, mostly due to her inability to keep her big fat mouth shut.

. . .

_'I wish you'd let me adore you like how you deserve to be adored because you're just that- you're better than perfect, and I want to be able to help you see exactly that and show the world what they're missing for not having you in their lives.'_

. . .

What. The. Fuck.

Marinette groaned some more when she reminded herself about the things she said once more and fell back onto her bed, wishing it would just gobble her whole. Tikki wasn't one to lie, so she had no choice but to trust that those were the exact words that came out of her mouth. Surely, she must've been sleep deprived or something to had boldly just spewed such things without holding back. Not like she was lying about what she said or anything, but she sure wished she could've rephrased it to make it sound a little less...creepy.

And what was worse was not being able to remember how Luka reacted but, according to the creature, he took it in well and had offered her a ride home afterwards.

If that wasn't his way of kicking her out of his home, then she didn't know what was.

"He hates me," the girl whined, her hands still covering her eyes. "Ahhhhhh, why am I like this? He literally non-verbally told me to fuck off."

Tikki simply giggled and hovered near her human to try and work things out. "You have a conflicted heart, Marinette. There's nothing wrong with that. Trust me when I say this, but he didn't kicked you out because he felt uncomfortable. He just figured you'd be late for dinner and wanted to make sure you made it home on time. I just think it's funny that whenever you confess something so important, your mind completely erases it from memory."

"I-I wasn't confessing! I-I mean, well, I did mean some of the things I said...well...all of the things I said. B-But not like that! Ugh, why can't I express my feelings for Adrien like that?"

"Because, for some reason, unlike with Luka, you end up forgetting how to human around him."

"I hate myself."

The kwami nuzzled against the girl before floating her way over towards the phone resting on the nightstand, the very same one that screamed at the both of them to wake up. "Speaking of Adrien, you should check your phone."

Looking over at the tiny creature with a question mark above her head, Marinette reached over to grab her phone. "Why? What's-" And right at the moment she unlocked her phone, she gasped upon seeing the multitude of messages she received from a number she hadn't expected to get anything from, considering neither receiver or sender had a reason to- which is a big fat lie because the receiver aka Marinette always wanted to send this other person something every second of every day.

**[ Text ]:** Hey

**[ Text ]:** I finished doing some errands

**[ Text ]:** Which means I have the rest of the day off :)

**[ Text ]:** I'm at the park chilling after a photo shoot

**[ Text ]:** Let me know when you're free

**[ Text ]:** And let me know if you want me to pick you up

**[ Text ]:** Oh and good morning btw :)

**[ Text ]:** I think that's all for now

**[ Text ]:** Hopefully we can hang out today :)

. . .

"Oh my god! I completely forgot about going out with Adrien today!" After reading the stackful of messages, which she found it to be cute because the boy typed in bursts, Marinette staggered out of bed and scrambled over to her closet to start searching for some casual clothes while her phone remained in her hand. "How did I let that slide by me?"

"Maybe because you were too invested in Luka," Tikki giggled as she watched her human from a safe distance as to not get slapped in the face by a flying clothing material. "Don't fret too much, Marinette. It's clear that Adrien's free all day and is excited to spend time with you. Take your time."

Had she really been that into Luka to had pushed her blond crush out of her mind? Sure, the man had gone through hell the other day, and she was worried about him, so it was only obvious that she would be thinking about him aside from all the other things she could possibly be thinking about. But forgetting about Adrien? She wasn't entirely sure whether that was a good or bad idea, but she decided right now was not the time to be thinking too much about trivial things when she had a date to go to.

A date.

With Adrien Agreste.

There was no other way to put this, right?

"You're telling me not to hurry," the girl aimed her words at the kwami while her attention was still in her closet, trying to find the perfect outfit for today. "Tikki, a day isn't enough for me to be with Adrien, you know that. I want to have the rest of my life with him- a day is nothing. I have to make every second count."

It was rude to tease the girl, but it was peculiarly funny to the creature how she would say all of these things but has trouble forming a complete sentence when she's around her love interest. Tikki wasn't entirely sure how Marinette would be able to live the rest of her life with someone she can barely talk to.

"Then maybe you should let him know you're available soon before you head out."

"Hmm?" The girl stood up after having been leaning down grabbing whatever good clothes she had to look over at the kwami. Once she put two and two together, she dropped the stash of clothing she had and remembered she was still holding onto her phone like a dumbass. "Oh fuck, you're right. Umm..."

_Come on. You can do this. It's just a text. Not talking to him directly in the face._

_Don't. Screw. Up._

**[ Text ]:** Hey yeah I'm free all day too, so I'll meet you up at the park. Does that sound good?

_Okay. That's good-_

**[ Text ]:** I can't wait to spend time with you too 3

_Fuck it. I'm done trying to be your conscious voice._

"Ahhh!" Marinette nearly threw her phone on the ground when she realized she sent a heart after her last sent message, so she couldn't take it back unless she were to delete it before the other would...which is exactly what she did or at least tried to do because the second she dived down to grab her phone and press the delete button, she got two messages back which scared her right out of her skin.

**[ Text ]:** Yeah that sounds good :)

**[ Text ]:** I'll see you then :)

. . .

Marinette gave a sigh of relief as it would appear the heart completely went over Adrien's head. But was that a good thing? All this time she wanted to let him know that she loved him more than she could express, and she kinda did by sending him a heart, which was something she rarely sent to anyone with the exception of her parents and Alya from time to time. But this was Adrien, and that heart meant more to her than she had come to realize. She had kind of hoped in the back of her mind that he would've said something about it.

But what if he would've rejected it?

Maybe that's exactly what he had done- simply ignoring the fact she sent a heart to try and not confront her about it. It wouldn't be a surprise...yet he still had it in him to send her smiling faces. That was something, right? Smiles were good and meant he was happy he could be with her for some time. It just had to be...right?

So many doubts swam in the ocean of her mind.

But right now was not the right time to dwell on it; she had a _date_ to go to.

"Alright, Tikki. Help me find the best outfit for today."


	19. Chapter 18

**_Moondust:_ **_Chapter 18_

_"In my dreams, I could be a princess, and that's what I was. Like most little girls, I believed nothing less than a prince could make my dreams come true."_

-Loretta Young

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**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

Impatience was highly present on the small frame- foot tapping, lip biting, finger playing. She had the bad habit of overthinking when it wasn't necessary as per usual; such a trait of hers she absolutely despises considering it always appeared whenever something so minimal occurred. Surely, it was normal for someone to be a little late or maybe a bit lost when it came to meeting up with someone. It wasn't because the other person had something better to do than be with her or anything, right? Or maybe all of this was just a prank on her, and here she was wasting her time being the laughing stock of someone's sick joke.

It was such a harsh outcome, but she couldn't rule it out.

Wouldn't be the first time it happened to her...

Marinette sat on a bench in a rather low activity park with a couple of kids playing tag and adults watching over them. Perhaps it was the time that made it appear as though not many people were here because normally this park would be full especially on the weekend where many community activities were set in place. It has recently just hit noon, so it would make sense others would be busy with things before they had time to do stuff later in the day. Still, the stillness was rather eerie, and it only worsen the girl's mood the more time passed.

Maybe she got the directions wrong. Maybe this wasn't the park Adrien had told her to meet him at.

Maybe he just straight up ditched her.

It was painful to have such a low self esteem to consider the worst events, but that was who she was all due to her past experiences with life. She had never been the center of attention or someone's first choice. She had always been this makeshift friend who simply took the spot of a potential 'better' friend to replace her. It hadn't been until recently, after meeting Alya, that things have started to work out for her in the friendship department. She had people who actually wanted her around and invited her to all sorts of different things. It made her feel wanted and, most importantly, loved. Finally, she had people who cherished her as much as a priority.

Yet, she still wasn't up to par with some people, and it sucked when it came to others she really wanted to be with.

One huge example: Adrien.

A sigh escaped the frown upon her lips as she remained waiting with her head slumped in the palms of her hands while bluebell eyes sought the children playing around to distract her worried mind. She shouldn't think too much of this- really, she had spent the past week with Adrien after school, what more could she want? She shouldn't be selfish and yank the boy away from everything else just so she can have him all to herself. Yeah, that would be nice, but it wouldn't be fair. He needed his space just as much as she needed hers; the least she wanted was to create this abusive relationship with him. She had to trust he knew what he was doing and his reasoning behind his actions.

It's been fifteen minutes.

. . .

Time to throw in the towel.

Tiny body weighed heavier when the depression kicked in, it became a chore to simply stand up. Marinette hovered near the bench she had been sitting at while eyes glanced at the embodiment of excitement before her- kids playing without a worry in the world. If only she were a child again, she'd be too busy playing house to even bother much with the hardships of real life. Young Mari had dreamed of finding her prince and falling in love, and she thought it'd be as easy as meeting a boy and instantly becoming a couple.

Older Mari knew better.

"Probably should get home and work on homework or something productive- oof!"

The minute she turned around to start headed back towards the bakery, the girl bumped into someone which only alerted her anxiety as she felt ashamed that her clumsiness possibly ruined someone's day. She was quick to apologize, rubbing her forehead that had been the most affected by the collision. "Ah, so sorry. I didn't mean to."

"No, no. I should be apologizing to you. I was in such a hurry to catch up to you, it completely slipped my mind that you were already in front of me."

For some reason, her mind entirely blurred out coming in contact with the other person to even bother looking up and seeing who it was. The mere sound of their voice was enough to cause a shiver to spread all over her body and regain most of her lost energy after having been moping around this whole time. Bluebell eyes joined her ears in collecting the details that slapped her right in the face, causing emotions to tangle her inner chambers.

"A-Adrien!"

The young super star flashed his bright smile as a nervous gesture of rubbing the back of his neck was set in motion. "Hey, Marinette. Sorry for running late. I was around doing some window shopping while I waited for you and, aha, didn't realize I had been too caught up with looking at dumb clothes. I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

Yes, indeed it was him. In the flesh and blood.

Marinette tried her best to compose herself- that once defeated body now hyper with the heebie jeebies- as she forced her brain to get back on track and not say something stupid right off the bat. "U-Ummm, no, you're fine. I-I actually just, umm, got here so, umm, y-yeah, you're fine. I'm the one who should be saying sorry for, ummm, making you wait too long."

_Wow._

_That was actually impressive._

Adrien shook his head and reached over to place a strong but gentle hand upon her shoulder. "You didn't. I'm just glad you were able to make it."

"U-Uhh, y-yeah. I'm glad too."

There was a short pause between them which seemed to last way too long to the girl who was internally sweating, worried she might end up blabbering about this and that. Because if there was anything that excited her, it was the boy standing right in front of her with his hand still resting on her shoulder. All the scenarios that rushed to her head with that single action; all the things that could happen between the two that could end in a romantic evening...or end in a tragedy.

It was all just a huge Pick Your Adventure story.

The boy released his hand from the girl and looked around a bit before speaking. "Well, it is rather early for dinner, don't you think? Maybe you'd like to join me in some window shopping? Or we can do something around the park or just walk down street after street until we find something fun to do? It's up to you, Marinette. I'm fine with whatever you want to do."

Never in her short life did she ever expect to hear her love interest want to do things with her, let alone do things she wanted to do.

She must be dreaming.

"U-Umm, w-well, I..." If she were to refute back the words he said, he might think she was too reserved and awkward which was a huge no-no, so she had to take initiative and do exactly as he said. She was given the ropes, she had to go through with it. "...w-we can go to the Eiffel tower and hopefully find a flea market or something. L-Like last time, remember? It is Saturday, so there's a higher chance of there being some sort of marketplace gathering near there. U-Unless you're not inter-"

"That sounds perfect! Yeah, let's go."

Never taking Adrien to be the one to interrupt, Marinette simply blinked but smiled bashfully for her idea wasn't ridiculed. She tightly grabbed onto the strap of her signature purse, however, before she could even take a step, something entirely unexpected happened. A hand had been placed before her, palm up and arm extended. Curious hues followed the outline of the hand up to the arm before setting them upon the gorgeous face she had grown to love more than anything. Those mint green eyes shimmering brighter than the sun, those soft cheeks with a hint of red coloring to them, and that smile, god that smile could kill herself and she'd say 'thank you'.

This was real despite it being too good to be true.

"If you don't mind holding hands while we make our way, of course," Adrien broke through the trance the girl had been placed under because of him, expanding further on his motive of lending his hand to her.

_I wouldn't mind kissing you and fucking you and marrying you and fucking you again and have your kids and fuck-_

_Bruh._

Her conscious smacked her upside the head, bringing her back to reality. Marinette twitched slightly as a way to gain back control of her body before granting a soft smile towards the most beautiful boy in the world along with her hand in marriage...er...just her hand to hold while they made their way through the city of love.

There was no other time than now where she honestly believed that.

"Let's go."

* * *

"All the things I've been missing out, ahh."

The duo had spent hours touring through the multitude of stores, each finding so many unique and interesting things. Adrien had been the one most excited as he appeared like a child on Christmas Day, eagerly checking out everything that he could possibly claim as his gift. It was such a wholesome sight to behold, Marinette wouldn't trade these moments for the world. Seeing the boy smiling the most she had ever seen him smile was like a gift from the heavens, and there could never come anything close to compare to how extraordinary and wonderful his happiness truly was. Any worries she might've had completely vanished at the sight of the beautiful blond shining as bright as ever.

"I'm so glad I brought you along." Adrien allowed his wandering eyes to set still on the girl walking beside him, giving her the attention she deserved. "Nino and I would've just goofed around if I invited him, but I actually got more insight about the things they sell here that I ever could from reading about them. And it's all thanks to you, Marinette." His large hand that had claimed property to the girl's own gave a gentle squeeze. "You're so knowledgeable to so many arts and crafts, it's actually really cool. You should make your own creations and come here to sell them. I'm sure people would go crazy to get their hands on your incredible designs."

There had been many compliments aimed directly at her today that she hadn't been prepared for, so one can only imagine just how difficult it had been for her to keep her composure without freaking the fuck out. She surprised even herself, but it must've been the sight of this boy having the time of his life that made her put aside her own needs and focus on his.

He was the most important thing right now.

Marinette gave a shy giggle as she timidly averted her eyes to not drown within those dazzling eyes of his. "O-Ohh, y-you think so? I mean, my arts and crafts is just a hobby of mine, not looking to get money out of it. I just enjoy making things for others as well as expanding my own creativity. B-Besides, the things people make here are way beyond what I can do, considering they have a lot more experience than I do. I'm not sure what I make can come close."

"You're so humble, you know that?" The blond put a stop to their walk in order to have her look at him directly in the face, both his hands now taking her smaller ones. "From what I've seen from you, I think you're more than capable of being one of the top designers, even better than my father. I hope one day a lot more people can acknowledge the talent you possess because not many have the same amazing skills like you do."

If she hadn't been flustered already, she was now. All of this attention and adoration she was receiving from the boy she had longed to get love from was like a dream come true, and if this was indeed just that, a dream, then she didn't want to wake up. Leave her in a coma, for all she cared. This was everything she could ever ask for.

The realization of the position they were in jabbed at her like Cupid's arrow, and it only made her want to fulfill her fantasy of leaning in and have their lips come in contact once and for all.

"Adrien, I-"

"Adrien!"

Shattered glass.

The two pulled slightly away in order to look up towards the direction where the new voice had come from. Adrien's grip on Marinette lessen which brought distress to her, wishing she had the guts to pull him back and keep him in her hold. Unfortunately, his attention had been altered, and at that moment, their attitudes became ying and yang.

"Kagami, hey!"


	20. Chapter 19

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 19_

_"When would I stop being second choice? Would I ever be number one to the person I cared most about in the world?_

-A. Meredith Walters

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

The tug-o-war battle that bestowed upon her delicate, unprepared body easily trampled over her as she was forced to wave a white flag in utter defeat. Desperately had she wanted to cling onto the hand that had graced her own, however she knew there was no chance of her reclaiming what had been hers for a short while. It was futile to try and fight back; she had to learn that the hard way.

"What a surprise seeing you here!" The blond did not think twice the second he released his hold on the girl he had been with for his attention was now on another. So eager he was to greet the other that he completely left Marinette behind in order to do so.

"Likewise." The newcomer to the fray embraced the boy and granted him a smile, something that this girl rarely put out for the world to see, yet she was more than willing to do such a thing for the young model whom- to no one's shock- she adored greatly.

Kagami Tsurugi.

Marinette simply remained behind, allowing the two fence practice comrades to partake in small talk while she did her best to stay composed and not become overdramatic. Adrien had the right to say hi to a friend...yeah, she was just a friend...

"I wouldn't have expected your mom would've let you out without keeping her sights on you. Are you skipping lessons by any chance?" The blond gave a small laugh which in turn made the other girl laugh along.

"Of course not. Although, you know I would've just to spend some time for myself. I actually was able to convince my mom to let me walk around for a bit before going back to having practice with her. It's a break more or less. Lucky to have spotted you here." Just then, fierce golden hues caught a glance over at Marinette who returned the gesture with nervous eyes, feeling much like a predator eyeing its prey. "I see you have someone with you."

"Hmm?" Adrien looked over his shoulder towards the blue girl who appeared smaller than before. "Oh, yeah. I invited Marinette to chill with me. We were just walking around shop to shop and finding really cool things."

Without hesitation, Kagami made a royal stride over towards her secret rival in order to lock eyes with her and silently sealed an oath with invisible blood. "Hello, Marinette. Hope you've been well. "

Feeling entirely intimidated, Marinette gave a weak smile towards the girl who appeared to be like a tower to her with the way she was standing tall and proud before her. Why couldn't she have the confidence to be like that? "H-hey, Kagami. L-Long time no see. Umm, I've been okay, yeah. H-How about you?"

Pathetic.

Ferocious eyes narrowed further until they lowered their guard once they figured there was no threat to be had, and she backed away to stand near Adrien. "That's good. Adrien told me much about how you were absent from school for a long time. It is good to see you are well again."

Adrien talked to Kagami about her?

That was so...unexpected.

Flattering almost.

No, it was flattering.

Her crush had her in her mind the whole time she had been gone and even talked about her with her arch nemesis.

She had to matter to him in some way, right?

"As for me, I have been in good health. I have been following my schedule as I should, so nothing out of the ordinary has occurred." Kagami finished her statement before looking back at the blond who made his way between the two girls, his light green eyes finding shelter on the ocean blue orbs that belonged to Marinette.

"Yeah, it's great to have her back. I was really worried about her." Adrien gave let out a breath of relief before a light bulb raised above his head. "Oh! Hey, since you're here, Kagami, would you like to join us for a bit before you have to go back?"

At the sound of that, the blue girl immediately cringed and wished the boy hadn't suggested the idea for she knew the other wouldn't say no. This was supposed to be _her_ day with Adrien- not Kagami's.

Kagami turned to look at the blond then turned to look back at the smaller girl. There was a slight pause before she gave her response that surprised Marinette. "I wouldn't want to interfere with your date."

A date.

Even stoic girl could see this was a date and came to terms with it. Despite her showing clear signs of resentment, Kagami accepted what was before her and voiced out she was not going to force herself into something she had no place to be in.

That sort of maturity was something Marinette wished she had.

If it had been her, she would've tried her hardest to get the two away from each other as soon as possible.

Sigh.

She was disgusting.

"Date?"

The confused tone of voice the boy used just then lured the girls to look at him, both with concern in their eyes while they examined the posture the male presented. Raised eyebrow combined with a hand at the back of his head and a small frown upon perfect lips explained further the reasoning behind his sudden burst of uncertainty.

And it was something that haunted Marinette day and night.

_"This isn't a date. It's just a friend hang out."_

A friend hang out.

That was what he said.

Right from the horse's mouth.

Aha.

Even Kagami was taken aback from what she heard but did not complain as she positioned herself closer to the boy and hooked her arm with his, her sharp eyes glancing back at her rival. "In that case, if there is no trouble, then I will be delighted to join."

Adrien gave a smile to his fencing partner, welcoming the hold on him, then directed that same smile towards Marinette who stood there like a sunflower who had lost her sun but, to him, she didn't look much different than when it was just them minutes prior. "Of course not. We would like it if you were to join, right Marinette?" A hand reached over towards the girl, inviting her to join the duo.

But there was nothing better that she wanted to do but to run away as far as she can and never look back.

This entire week of spending time with Adrien, she had only been seen as a friend. There wasn't anything special; she wasn't anything more than just a friend to him. No matter how hard she tried, no matter the situation they were in, in the end she was a friend and only a friend. At this point, she doubted she would ever be more than that.

Aha.

What the fuck was she thinking?

She felt her eyes started to sting but instantly blinked several times to prevent herself from falling apart right there and then. This shouldn't be serious; she was still able to be with him. Maybe not in the way she wanted, but she was given permission to be by his side. Why did she have to turn to a last resort every time something like this happened?

Marinette forced a smile as she reached out to take his hand back into hers although it did not hold the same sentiment as before, not with someone else clinging onto him. She didn't want to be a side dish of any kind; she wanted to be the main course but, from how things are going, there was a zero chance that would ever happen.

Why was she not his type?

"Yeah...it'll be...nice to have you join us, Kagami."

* * *

For about an hour, the trio rerouted the entire marketplace to the best of their ability to try and show everything the blond and blue head had earlier discovered to the newest addition to the party. All the while, Adrien has been the most excited as he would constantly tug at the two girls whenever he saw something that caught his interest. He would chat about this and that, more so to Kagami who smiled and listened attentively to everything the model had to say. And the more he would do this, the less his hold on Marinette became. Each time he stopped to show off an item, his hand would become lighter on hers, and she had to readjust in order to prevent them to separate. However, since it was a constant action, she gradually started to get tired of trying to keep him with her.

There was no reason to hold onto someone who wanted to be let go of.

The last straw had been pulled when Adrien finally released her hand entirely and dragged Kagami towards a shop where gorgeous hand-made accessories were being sold. Marinette stayed behind as her bluebell eyes dejectedly looked towards the couple having the time of their lives. He looked so cheerful, that flawless face of his beaming as bright as ever, and she looked much the same, her normal resting bitch face turning for the better with a beautiful shine casted upon it. The two were so happy to be together...more happy than when she was with them, almost as though she was just a disturbance.

Just a thorn to their sides.

_I have to go..._

Marinette turned around to make her leave, taking the opportunity to get away while they were both busy. She was able to cover a few feet before a voice called out to her which made her stop immediately while her heart did its best to keep itself from falling apart.

"Marinette, where are you going?"

The fragile girl looked over her shoulder towards the boy who had now set his focus on her while his hold on the other girl was still strong. Her eyes absorbed that link of arms that had destroyed her entire day, wishing she had the ability to melt things with a mere look, but she refrained herself from such toxic thoughts as she returned her gaze to the walkway in front of her.

"I'm going to the bathroom."

Unphased.

Without waiting to hear any response that might've come out from anyone's mouth, Marinette power walked her way out of sight, her fists tightly clenched much like her teeth that felt like they were to break if she were to add more pressure to them. She reached a pillar where she took refuge behind and leaned against stone as she allowed her body to try and gain composure she had ultimately lost the second she had left the duo.

It was better this way.

Yet bluebell eyes swallowed curiosity like water on a hot day, and they betrayed her by leading her back to look over towards where the two had been left behind. It had been at that moment that she knew what she had done had been protection against the horrors that would've eaten her alive if she were to remain back there.

Red for passion and love.

Love at first sight.

Adrien had handed a single red rose to Kagami, one so fitting for someone as strong and as beautiful as her.

She should've known.

It was so damn obvious.

Tears found their way into the oceans of her eyes and overflowed down to her cheeks as her body forced itself to move, to run as far as she could to the nearest shelter where her heart could be patched up. She ran and ran, the farthest she had ever ran in her life- her feet sore from trespassing many obstacles that came her way. For a moment, she thought she wouldn't stop, that her legs would carry her to the ends of the earth, however something familiar, a homey sight came before her, and she rushed towards it to find aid.

Tiny body creaked wooden floor and shaking knuckles tapped at a door to alert of her presence. Yet, there had been no need for her to have done so for, at that exact moment, the door before her opened and revealed her position to the person on the other side that was surprised to see her standing there looking as though she had just ran away from a monster. Marinette had tried to wipe her tears away and make it seem like she had just ran a mile without any sadness in her heart, but she knew it had already been too late to hide the fact that she had been in major pain.

Much to her relief, the glimpse of the man with blue tipped hair seemed to lift some of the sorrow away.

"Marinette, is everything okay?"


	21. Chapter 20

_**Moondust:**_ _Chapter 20_

_"By loving all the parts of you that I dislike in myself, I am learning to love me too."_

-Kate McGahan

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

However can he brush off the image of the torn teenage girl standing right in front of him? It might be an exaggeration, but it was torture to see her in this state and not know what was wrong. He had made his question be known twice, but she refused to give him a proper answer. The more time they spent looking at each other, the more he grew worried and the more the girl did her best to cover up the fact that she had been thrown down to the dirt.

Her delicate bluebell eyes, the windows to her gentle soul, spoke louder than her actions did.

"Are you busy?" Marinette inquired before the other could have a chance to ask her whether she was okay or not. "I...was wondering if I can maybe spend some time with you for a bit?"

There was no way she was going to reveal to the man about what she had just witnessed followed by the anguish that ate her alive from the inside. Maybe one day she would, but not right this instant. She needed to forget about it all for her not to have another mental breakdown.

Luka couldn't push aside his concerns about the girl's well-being- no normal person would appear at someone else's door looking as though they had barely escaped a fight. But he knew better than to push her into telling him anything; the least he can do is wait until she was ready. However, he also learned from his experiences with his sister whom has had several moments of isolation to know that sometimes he had to poke enough to get something out and break the wall that was keeping him from getting through to help Juleka in her desperate times of need.

Maybe it was the same with Marinette. Perhaps it was his job to notice her distress and reach for her to pull her out from the whirlpool she was caught in. She might feel like a bother if she were to say anything about what was going on; it honestly wouldn't be a surprise if she was keeping everything to herself because she didn't want to trouble anyone with her problems. She was the type of person to do such a thing, always willing to help others but not willing to ask others for help.

He was going to save her one way or another.

Luka gave a sigh and placed a hand on the girl's head, giving a small pat before he shut the door behind him and motioned for the other to follow his lead. "I don't mind spending time with you, Marinette. But I do have to go to work just to do a little task. It shouldn't last long, considering I've already finished my shift. The boss needs someone to handle the register for a bit until he gets back from whatever it is he had to do. Apparently, it got really busy the minute I got off, so no one's available to take the job. If you don't mind coming along, yeah I'll be more than happy to have you with me."

The least she wanted to be was a bother, so she immediately shook her head, sorrow filling her every atom. "Oh. No, no. It's fine. I don't want to-"

But before she could finish her sentence, her hand was engulfed by a large, warm hand and was then dragged off the houseboat and towards the familiar black car. The man opened the door for her and urged her to get in with a sincere smile upon his lips.

"I would be delighted to have you come along. It's about time I show you where I work."

Marinette couldn't find a reason to say no with that explanation, so she simply took in a deep breath and sat on the passenger seat with the man taking his rightful place on the driver's seat. She observed him as he adjusted himself to have a safe driving experience, making sure the mirrors were allied properly as well as his seat being the perfect position for him to ride with ease. He placed the keys into the ignition and turned on the vehicle, a sudden blast of music came from the speakers which startled the two thus the man quickly readjusted the volume and laughed nervously.

"Sorry about that. I might've gotten a bit carried away the other day."

The girl giggled, her face lightening up slightly, which was a glorious sight for Luka who smiled back and began to drive with indie rock filling the car at a much less ear threatening volume.

* * *

"Alright. We're here."

The black car positioned itself perfectly into a parking spot behind a small building that was covered head to toe with many creative graffiti designs. The man was the first one out as the girl followed suit, her eyes being pulled by the spectacular art styles presented on the building before her. It was as though the structure itself was an art portfolio on display; it really captivated her.

"That's nothing," Luka wormed his way into her thought process and granted a wink. "Just wait until you get inside."

The two made their way towards the back door, the man holding it open for the girl to waltz right inside. The second she stepped in, awe sprouted from head to toe for it was something she had never seen before. Walls were completely covered in artworks of all kinds, some were in frames while others had been inked onto the walls themselves. There even a few guitars of all kinds hanging around. Not a single spot in the building escaped being covered in something artistic, and it gave the girl unexpected goosebumps.

Not only did the artwork brought her to have her mouth agape, but the sight of people all spread out in their own section- some wearing all black with tattoo guns in hand and some either sitting or laying depending on what sort of tattoo they were getting- was something to behold. The scent of antiseptic was also quite strong, something the girl wasn't expecting to come from this place at all. Then again, this was her very first time ever entering into the world of tattoos, so every single thing that popped out to her was like a rare discovery.

_"The economy's a goner, republic's a banana, ignore it if you wanna_

_Fuck it, I'm just gonna get girls, food, gear_

_I don't like going outside, so bring me everything here."_

Punk rock played in the speakers that were placed in the corners of the four walls, not extremely loud to bother but loud enough to be heard.

So surreal.

Luka made sure to careful guide Marinette towards where he's supposed to be, a hand resting against her back to lead her through the cluster of punkish things that might or might not be a little too much for her. Along the way, he would greet his fellow co-workers that were occupied with their jobs, all smiling back at him and giving him a few joking statements. The duo made it to the front of the store where a huge bald man with a beard that looked rather fierce stood, his strong, thick arms covered in tattoos of all kinds crossed over his chest. He caught sight of them once they arrived and a wide smile spread across his face.

"Luka, there you are. Thanks for coming, man. Sorry for calling you back in right after you just got off." What a thunderous voice this man had, he really did look like a big bear ready to tear someone apart if they weren't careful.

"It's no problem," the blue tipped man said, adjusting his hair with a hand combing through it. "Hope I get extra in my paycheck because of this~"

The larger man laughed. "I'll think about it." He winked at the other but then became curious at seeing a small girl standing besides his employee. "Oh? You brought someone with you?"

Luka turned to look at Marinette who stood there shyly, a small hand of hers waving towards his boss. "Yeah, this is Marinette. I didn't want to leave her alone, so I brought her over. I hope that's fine."

"Yeah, of course. As long as she doesn't distract you." The big man reached out to shake hands with the girl, a smile still present on his chubby face. "Hey there, Marinette. Name's Nicolas."

"U-Uhh...hey. Nice to meet you too." Marinette offered her hand, however she did not expect him to literally crush her, flinging her around like a doll.

Nicolas simply laughed and released her once he was done. "Alright, I gotta go now but I'll be back as soon as I can. All you gotta do is take care of the register. Simple enough."

"Got it." The younger male walked over to set himself behind the counter that held the register along with the girl following close behind, holding onto her injured hand but keeping a weak friendly smile.

Nicolas gave one last salute before he stomped out of the store and made his way towards wherever he was heading to, leaving the money to be handled by Luka. That was when the blue tipped man gave an apologetic smile to Marinette, gently grabbing onto her hand that had been punished.

"Sorry about that. Nick can sometimes forget his own strength."

"I-It's okay..." Not really but feeling Luka's warm hands covering her throbbing hand made the pain almost instantly go away. "He seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah, he is despite his appearance."

For a moment did the two stare at each other directly in the eyes, blue clashing against blue in a hypnotic state. A brief minute passed by them, completely ignoring the rest of the world even though it was an area that was hard to brush off, but right now, this instance was all that mattered. Larger hands on a smaller one...centimeters apart...

Marinette blinked after realizing that she had been staring for too long and averted her gaze, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Luka returned the gesture with a soft smile before letting go, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by holding onto her hand much longer than needed- though he wished he could keep her hand on his for a while more.

"So, what do you think?" The man asked as his looked all around at his work area to signal he was talking about the building itself.

"Hmm? Oh, umm..." The girl copied his gaze around the room and soaked in everything, not knowing where to start. "It's a lot better than the club, that's for sure." She gave a small giggle then leaned against the counter, her bluebell eyes scanning the other workers doing their jobs. "I wouldn't mind coming here every now and then. You might find this weird, but it feels cozy. I don't know why, but even though there's so much going on, something about this place makes me feel safe. Plus, there are so many cool designs I can get inspiration from for my own work. I really love this place."

Luka gave a sigh of relief, the validation of his work place meaning a lot more to him than he would've figured. "That's good. This place has a lot of my favorite things, you know like some of my aesthetic is literally this place, haha. I feel at home here, everyone is really nice, and we all have so many interesting stories to share. There are poems writing all around from the decorations to the customer's skin. Almost reading many different books at once." Hesitating for a bit after he went on about this and that, the man bashfully chuckled as a hand rose to rub the back of his neck. "Ah, sorry about that. I tend to get a little too into the things I really like."

"Don't be." A small hand placed itself upon his arm, causing him to look down at that gorgeous face he learned to love the most. "I love it when you talk about things you're passionate about. It makes me happy to know certain things can make you feel a certain way. Considering you write songs, hearing you talk about things as though they were lyrics to a song is really admirable. I can listen to you talk on and on without getting tired."

Those words...god, she really knew how to set his heart soaring to the depths of the universe.

Luka gave a wide smile as she reached over to give the girl a pat on the head though allowed his hand to linger on her for a while. "That's why I like being with you, Marinette. You let me be myself. Is that why you asked me to start recording myself, so you can constantly listen to me sing about things I'm passionate about?"

Marinette blushed after putting two and two together. She knew full well that she couldn't express herself properly other than revealing her true feelings which always came out sounding just as strong as they boomed in her core. It made her seem too...affectionate, in a sense and sometimes some people didn't like being worshiped by someone they didn't want the attention from. She needed to learn to cease, yet this man somehow made her lose the brain cells that told her to shut her mouth.

But he seemed perfectly fine with it.

"A-ahh...w-well...I mean..."

The man laughed and gave the girl one last ruffle of hair before taking his hand back. "Ever since you mentioned that, I've been thinking about it, you know. Sure, I know I'm not going to record for companies and all that, just maybe only for people I'm close with. If I do decide to record my songs, you'll be one of the firsts to listen to them. It makes me happy you enjoy my music just as much as I enjoy making it."

Marinette couldn't help but return to looking attentively into Luka's eyes. Those blues as clear as the sky, so beautiful and lively. The rest of his face was no different, so flawless and pristine. Those lips of his...ever since they shared a kiss...the girl couldn't look at them without thinking back to that moment they made a connection that sparked a whole new life to her heart. There wasn't anything on this man that didn't make her feel safe, important and...loved.

He was unparalleled.

_"I would have you on constant repeat."_

* * *

OOC: The song playing in the tattoo parlor is **People** by **The 1975**. ^3^


	22. Chapter 21

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 21_

_"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."_

-Marther Luther King Jr.

* * *

OOC: Sorry for this chapter being a day late. Mental health and all that jazz. Hope you all lovelies still enjoy it~

* * *

**TW: Strong Language/Self Hate**

* * *

Timing was never on her side.

A string of unfortunate events made themselves apparent the moment she had voiced out something so incredibly weird; customers began to gather up around the counter to pay up their visits or check in, people coming and going all at once. This, of course, was the reason why the blue tipped man became so preoccupied with his temporary work to bother resuming the conversation the two had mere minutes ago. But the girl knew- she knew all too well- that what she had said wasn't something to just forget about in an instant, and there was a high possibility that Luka was thinking about it all throughout work.

_'I would have you on constant repeat.'_

How humiliating.

Marinette couldn't do much but sit back and allow the man to attend to the register, her fingers anxiously fidgeting while her lip would occasionally be bitten. All the while, she hated herself and wished she could go back in time and retrieve back those embarrassing words. The way she said it, it was like she was being a stalker of some sort, regularly listening in on him over and over again. She didn't mean it like that, of course, but she had a bad habit of making her actual thoughts sound like a crazed exaggerations.

Why was she like this?

Eventually, the big man of the tattoo parlor returned just as the place had become a lot less crowded. He thanked his employee and made it be known that there was going to be an advance in his paycheck before officially dismissing Luka and Marinette from the premence. Along the way, much to her surprise, the other workers said good-bye to her, nicely telling her they would be delighted to have her come back and work on her if she were to ever need a tattoo. Kindly, the girl returned the gesture with a wave and a smile before the duo exited through the very same door they had entered earlier on.

And just like that, they stepped out from the exotic world and went back into the real one with a simple step.

"What a rush that was," Luka said as they made their way back to his car. "Sorry if I made you wait though. It must've been boring for you to have to do nothing."

Nervous eyes looked up to the man before averting themselves down to the car which had been unlocked for her to open the passenger door and get inside. "U-Umm, it's fine. I didn't mind waiting. I had fun, umm, looking at everything."

The man smiled as he got into his seat and turned on the car, carefully pulling out from the parking spot and out the lot down the street. For a moment did the sound of rock music drowned their ears and nothing else, the two silently riding with each of their attention set on different things. Marinette was rather conflicted as it would seem like Luka either completely forgot about their past conversation or was just being nice as to not bring up her creepy words that had been directed at him.

This was so awkward.

"Hey, do you mind if we chill at the park for a bit?" Almost suddenly, Luka spoke once more, slightly peeking over to his side to give a glance towards the girl before going back to setting his eyes back on the road. "We don't have to if you don't want to. I just figured maybe we can do something else before we head our separate ways."

"U-Ummm..." She really hadn't expected the invitation, but who was she to deny a hangout with Luka? She did come to him in the first place after all, even though now she felt like a fool around after the things she had said to him. "...sure. I'd like that."

Spending time with the man was something she had learned to greatly enjoy, all of the attention she got from him and all of the fun things they did together. He also had the amazing ability to help her forget her worries which was a huge life saver quality. Like, she honestly forgot why she had come to him to begin with...

...that was until the sight of the park reverted all of those long gone memories.

The car parked itself in an available spot, the music being cut off the second the ignition had been turned off. Luka wasted no time in getting out unlike Marinette who remained in her seat, bluebell eyes showing shaking fear. If she had known which park they were going to be at, she would've thought twice about her answer.

"Marinette, you alright?"

This was the same park she met Adrien earlier that day.

The girl forcefully pulled herself away from the cloud of darkness that was slowly creeping onto her and granted the best fake smile she could muster up, making her way out of the car in order to stand near the man. "Yeah. I'm fine."

She said, like a liar.

Because she was not fine, not anymore. Remembering what this day was supposed to have been brought back the aching sensation within her chest that made it almost hard to breathe. Her limbs quivered from unspeakable sadness upon realizing it has been about two hours since she last left the blond behind with the girl of his dreams...the spot she was envious of but have come to an agreement with herself that she would never fill no matter what she did.

She wondered what they were doing.

Probably having a lot more fun.

Probably having their time alone to be romantic with each other.

Probably being happier than they have ever been.

Probably better off without her.

. . .

She had been too caught up with her sorrow to realize her body moved on its own and had been following the blue tipped man across the park, almost like a zombie sucked out of every ounce of life left. It wasn't until the two reached the popular ice cream man, Andre Glacier, and his joyful voice that snapped her back in control.

"Hello, hello~! Two lovely birds seeking ice cream on this delightful day, is it not?"

"Hey, Andre. Good to see you," Luka greeted the man with a bright smile. "Right you are, can we get two to go?"

"Of course you can~! I am more than happy to share my wonderful newest flavors added to the collection~"

The ice cream man went straight to work afterwards, chiming about this and that with every scoop he gathered into making a cone. The blue tipped man indulged himself in everything the older man was saying, smiling all the while, however, the girl was out of the picture as she resumed back to her dissociation. Her eyes wandered off into the distance, looking at nothing in particular, yet in the back of her mind, she was supposed to be keeping an eye out for something...or rather someone.

She had to be on high alert in case she were to catch him.

Him with her.

Him with her wrapped around his arms.

Him with her pressed against him.

Him with her sharing a kiss.

Him.

Her.

"And here is the special ice cream for the young lady~"

The demons screeching in her head were toned down to whispers, still evident but quiet, as her remaining humane brain cells did their best to keep her from completely disintegrating into ashes. She was dangerously on the edge; it became a chore to simply turn back around to grab onto her multicolored ice cream and mutter a soft 'thank you'.

Luka paid for both cool treats before the two walked towards the nearest bench and sat down, centimeters apart. The man went straight to tasting his ice cream the second he set his butt down and immediately hummed in pleasure, his cheeks casting a faint hint of pink. "Andre sure does have the amazing talent of exciting the taste buds with his delicious flavors. Rarely are there any store bought ice cream that tastes as good as his."

But the man might as well be talking to himself because Marinette was nowhere near the same level of existence as he was. Her mind swirled with an insane amount of negative thoughts, her personal aura filled with dark energy. Her heavy head hung low as her trembling hands held onto the ice cream that wasn't getting any attention aside from the addition of salt on the surface.

Salt from the tears that were suddenly streaming down her ocean eyes.

Out of nowhere did the girl began to cry, her tiny body crumbling up like a used tissue. She felt as though she might double over and vomit from how tight her stomach was contracting. Her pain was massive enough to make her feel like her face might rip apart from how powerful these large droplets were pouring out from her. The rest of her body wasn't any better as it only ache to move even a small bit.

If this was how dying felt like, she had a full report.

This behavior did not go unnoticed as Luka had been outright scared out of his mind upon seeing this precious girl suddenly break down next to him. He stopped paying attention to his ice cream and reached over to place a hand on the girl's back, gently rubbing it as a way to ease her. It made him somewhat relieved that she did not push him off at the contact given, meaning she was open to touch.

He had a chance of pulling her out of the water to let her breathe.

"Marinette, what's wrong?" It was evident this affected him just as much for his voice was shaky and weak, almost as though he was going to combine his own tears with hers. This was the moment he knew his soul had intertwined with hers for her pain was his, and it hurt him just as much or perhaps even more. There was nothing more that he wanted to do but to take all that agony from her and set her free.

Despite not knowing why she was suffering.

It took her no time to release the monsters from her head through her tight throat that felt as though a noose had been wrapped around her, already doing its work. "I'm so ugly...I'm so fucking ugly...there's not other reason...I'm ugly outside and in...why did I think he would ever love me? Aha...I'm so stupid...there was never a chance...I'm so ugly..."

"No you're not..." Luka's voice cracked, a knife of his own slicing away at his throat. "You're not anywhe-"

"I'm meant to be alone forever!" The soft, weak voice raised in volume as yells became evident, the poor girl hunched over as far as she could get. "Every boy I ever loved pushed me away! All those crushes I had, all of those boys I cared for more than anything, they all rejected me! Why? What did I do to make them hate me so much? I did everything for them! Everything! They all found someone better than me! Aha...I'm just some ugly dumb bitch that deserves to be alone..."

Marinette looked down at the ice cream she still held in her hand through glossy eyes and more tears found their way to accessorize the delectable treat. All of those scoops with several mixed colors held no symbolism to her, they were nothing more than just flavors bashed against one another. "Andre doesn't know what the fuck he's doing...look at this shit! The flavors are all over the place...even he knows there's no hope for me...he just feels pity for me...that's why he had to make something up..."

One scoop of ice cream then dripped down to the cement ground with a huge splat, the sugary lactose creating green spots to her pink flats. It was that moment where she completely lost it and slammed the rest of the treat on the ground, not caring whether she got more of the sticky substance on her. Hands placed themselves on her head, fingers tangling themselves on blue hair. Those god awful tears continued running down her pure face that had been distorted into one of sole devastation.

"I'm not worthy of love...I'm meant to be alone forever...I'm just so fucking ugly...that's why he doesn't love me...and he never will..."

Her words stung him more than million of needles piercing his skin. Hearing her speak about herself in such a negative way brought him to tears, single droplets sprinkling his cheeks with evident sadness. Seeing her fall into despair right before his eyes brought him to spring into action and waste no time dropping his own ice cream in order to have both arms available to wrap tightly around fragile body. He pulled her close to him, she reciprocated the action by pressing herself harshly against him, almost causing him to fall back. He felt his shirt become damp, but he was more than willing to allow himself to be her tissue to wipe those heartbreaking tears away.

"You're extremely beautiful, Marinette. Everything about you is exceptionally gorgeous."

Luka couldn't say more, however, because his sky eyes then caught sight of a malicious being fluttering nearby the minute he looked up. A fire burned within him like one of a violent wildfire, and his shield instincts kicked in, his hold on the girl tighter than before, almost as if he wanted to engulf her to keep her safe from the real ugliness that was Hawkmoth who feasted upon innocent lives with his evil akumas.

He knew from how broken Marinette was, there was a high probability of her being akumatized.

But he also knew she was stronger than this but only needed a bit of help to have her gain back her lost strength.

So he started to sing.

A gentle, alluring chime.

_"Tell me something girl_

_Are you happy in this modern world?_

_Or do you need more?_

_Is there something else you're searching for?"_

The man kept his eye on the butterfly hovering close to them, waiting for the right opportunity to strike, but he was going to deny that passage.

_"I'm falling_

_In all the good times I find myself longing_

_For change_

_And in the bad times I fear myself."_

He felt her cries slowly lessening in damage, her trembling body hiccuping instead of aggressively flaring around.

_"I'm off the deep end_

_Watch as I dive in_

_I'll never meet the ground_

_Crash through the surface_

_Where they can't hurt us_

_We're far from the shallow now._"

The butterfly retracted backwards as the girl was brought to a standstill, her body relaxing, and her tears appearing less and less.

_"I'm off the deep end_

_Watch as I dive in_

_I'll never meet the ground_

_Crash through the surface_

_Where they can't hurt us_

_We're far from the shallow now."_

The final verse had defeated the akuma, making it fly the other way and disappear. The girl resting in his arms was quiet and calm, a few sobs here and there but well in comparison to how she had been minutes ago. Once he was sure the nasty bug had vanished, Luka pulled back in order to look at Marinette who seemed more tired than he has ever seen her- mental illnesses taking a major toll on such a kind hearted soul.

Large hands found their way to her face, gently raising her head to have her look at him. Her watery eyes stared at him like waves crashing against the shore; his own returning the gesture with one of a clear blue sky. Thumbs wiped the very last tears that were present on her delicate face which caused her to take in a deep breath and gather some sort of peace within herself.

He wanted nothing more than to make her feel safe under his touch.

Luka sighed as he then rested his forehead against hers and closed his tears, his hands now finding their way down to her hands to hold them. What a scare she had given him, and it only reassured him that she needed his help more than he had thought. Luckily, he hadn't been blind to her well being, so he was able to have caught it just in time before it would get out of control and lord knows how that was going to change his beloved.

"I didn't let you go for you to end up like this."

Marinette fell into the embrace of the other, allowing herself to melt in his touch and let him take care of her while she had no energy to do so. She had been calm for a moment, the man's words and warmth aiding her broken heart, however his words were confusing, and it made her wonder what he was talking about. Yet she brushed it off and figured she was just hearing things because she was still weak after her mental breakdown and needed time to recollect herself and go back to being a functioning human being.

But the next phrase that came out of his mouth was one she wouldn't ever had been prepared for no matter how much time she had in advance to properly come in terms with it.

"Marinette, will you be my girlfriend?"

* * *

OOC: The song used is **Shallow** by **Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.**


	23. Chapter 22

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 22_

_"Failure is simple the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."_

-Henry Ford

* * *

**TW: Strong Lanugage**

* * *

There was no way she heard what she thought she heard.

Absolutely no fucking way.

And it was more than evident that she disliked whatever her mind conjured up because it was entirely far fetched and so hideous to even bring it up as something that actually happened.

That once face that had been full of tears had slowly twisted itself into one of confusion and disgust, appalled by the words that had come out from the man's mouth. At this point, her ocean eyes looked wildly all around his face to try and find the deception behind the phrase that dared escape his person. To think that someone like Luka said anything along the lines of...no, it just wasn't true, right?

He couldn't have just disregarded her feelings.

Her silence but, more importantly, her body language had been enough to reel the man back out of the dangerous waters he had been stupid enough to take a dip in. He felt her recoil in his hold, her beautiful face corrupted itself into one of utter disbelief and revulsion, and he knew at that moment that he had ruined everything he had hoped to save.

What a disgrace.

Luka pulled away from the girl, removing his presence from the other in order to grant her the space she needed. His once sky blues were now stormy grey, and they avoided the girl for he felt more than ashamed for his behavior. The ice cream melting on the ground was a good representation of how his heart liquefied into mush- his own fault, no one else's.

"I'm sorry..." The man turned his body away from the other. "I just..." But he knew there was no excuse for the poison that spewed from his lips. His fear of her falling apart took control of his reasonable patch of brain that he felt entitled to reveal to her how he really felt about her...unfortunately, it wasn't in the healthiest of ways. He had been desperate, so to say, that he wanted to say anything that could possibly help her feel better.

What a poor choice of words at such a wrong time.

He gave a sigh and resumed his explanation although he wasn't entirely sure whether Marinette was too keen in listening to him anymore. "I don't like seeing you in so much pain, especially when it revolves around you hating yourself. You're an extraordinary girl, Marinette, I mean that. So talented, kind, and caring. I have never met someone with a big heart as you. I only wish you could see what I see in you."

He saw the girl move slightly from the corner of his eye but pretended as though he hadn't noticed.

"What I said was childish and inconsiderate. For that, I am so sorry. It was a stupid way of letting you know that I love you more than just a friend. I just...panicked when you broke down, and I was desperately trying to find the right words to say, but I only ended up messing everything up." Sigh. "I only wanted to let you know that I wish I could love you enough to help you love yourself, yet even that sounds all too selfish and ugh...I'm sorry I was...scared of losing you to your own demons...I was scared my words would only be drowned on the screams inside your head..."

_'I love you more than just a friend.'_

That phrase alone was able to turn the tables and make the girl do a full 360 on her emotions. Never before had she been told that she was considered more than a friend by someone she had some form of feelings towards- normally it had been her to let that truth loose, so it had been a shocker to be on the other side of the conversation for once. At first, yes, she wasn't at all too pleased after hearing the man out of nowhere ask her to be his girlfriend after she just had a mental breakdown. So immature and rude, to think that something like pity in the form of a dating question would somehow make her feel better.

For a moment, she actually hated Luka.

But with much patience, she came to understand why he did it, and she regained that lost trust. She could only imagine what it was like to be on the receiving end of her emotional disability- all that fear and worry that might build up inside a person who wasn't used to such a thing. It would be incredibly hard to know what to do in a situation like that, and she only figured that people might freak out, much how the man explained. If it had been the other way around, Marinette was sure she would have become an anxious mess and say many wrong things while trying her best to get Luka back to his normal self.

They were both human after all.

With a clear head now resting upon her shoulders, the girl came to a realization that the man was true to his words from the way he spoke with his heart on his sleeve. She knew he wasn't one to simply say things just because; he was a man who meant everything he said when it came to serious topics, and this time was no different. She was willing to believe him when he said he loved her more than a friend, that he only asked that silly question because he was afraid of her losing the battle with the monsters inside her head. He didn't say that to take advantage of her or to take pity- he said it because he wanted to let her know how much she meant to him.

Because he loved her.

Now, despite Marinette gaining back a bit of stability, she was still unsure what to say, do, or think for that matter. She was recovering her from attack after all, and what she wanted more than anything right now was to go back home and take a well deserved bath, followed by a nap. She didn't want to just get up and go, but she also didn't want to pull herself into a conversation she wasn't ready for. All she wanted was some time alone to think about everything, and she was sure Luka would be one to understand that much.

So without saying a single word, the girl stood up from the bench and cocked her head to her side as a way to signal to the man that she wanted to head back to the car and hopefully get a ride home. Her motion didn't go unnoticed as Luka immediately took note and did as she had hoped he would- stand up and walk her over to his vehicle without forcing her to say anything all the while. And much to her relief, it stayed that way through the ride back to the bakery with the sound of music softly radiating through.

Once they arrived, Marinette reached over to open the door to allow herself out but before she did, she turned to look back over at the man who remained in his seat with his focus straight ahead. With a single look at him, she could tell he was trying his best to give her her personal space, so much as to deny his own eyes from her frame. He appeared to be uncomfortable, and it made her feel bad for not saying anything to him after everything that happened. But she hoped that once she collected her fallen pieces, that she would gain the strength to talk to him again and let him know that she appreciated him and his efforts of helping her feel better.

Recently, he has been the sole person that has done a splendid job at returning her lost happiness.

The girl exited the car and made her way inside the building, immediately making her way upstairs to her room without paying mind to her parents that were working at the bakery. She wanted to become reclusive for a moment, but she will come back once she gets a breather. Today has been hectic for her; she needed the time for herself.

As for Luka who had been left outside without a good-bye, things seem rather ill for him, but he made himself not to think too much of it despite so many troubling thoughts crossing his mind. He feared he might have ruined his friendship with Marinette- he would never forgive himself if he did- yet the optimistic side of him refused to let him go down that rabbit hole. Maybe the girl simply needed some time to think before she could come back to him...

God, he really hoped so.

With a sigh, the man drove away and headed back to his house. The music itself had been almost mute to his ears as the thoughts in his head were louder. He knew he shouldn't overthink it, but it was impossible not to after what he did to the girl he loved the most. Asking her to be his girlfriend? Pathetic, inconsiderate even. He hadn't meant it when he said because he knew she wouldn't agree to such a thing, yet somehow his head or his heart- he wasn't sure which one did it- thought it had been a good idea to let it out. He wasn't lying when he said it was because he wanted to let her know how much she meant to him, but he knew there were way better ways to phrase that than doing what he did. Ugh, it was so humiliating that it disgusted him and made him feel wasps stinging his stomach.

He had been caught up with his own turmoil that he nearly missed a familiar patch of golden locks standing at the corner of the intersection he was getting close to.

It was him.

There had been a stoplight that brought him to a standstill, luckily giving Luka time to look over at the blond who made his way across the way to the other side. The man noticed he had been interchanging his attention from his phone to his surroundings almost as if he was looking for something while he walked. It wasn't his business to intervene, more so since he barely even knew the guy but after speculating that perhaps he was part of the reason why his beloved felt utter worthless from what he had heard come from her mouth, he felt an urgent need.

. . .

Green light signaled him to go, and the man found himself the nearest parking spot he could find. He quickly got out of his car and made his way over towards where the other was walking, however he knew he shouldn't make it as though he had purposely stop driving because of him. So he regained his composure and casually strolled his way closer to the boy, blue eyes scanning his every move.

Why was he suddenly feeling so...overprotective?

"Hey, Adrien."

Considering he had been walking behind, Luka had to make it seem like he just so happened to recognize the back of his head which wasn't far from the truth. At his call, the boy in front turned around and almost immediately greeted him with that model perfect smile, green eyes shining under the afternoon light.

"Oh, hey Luka. It's been a while."

The two finally met up, close enough for them to share a 'bro handshake', before stepping aside from the sidewalk to have a short talk.

"I was wondering if that was you," the man smiled, his eyes examining the other's face. "I was walking by and looked up to see a familiar blond head. It sure has been a hot minute. How have you been?"

It wasn't as though he felt sour towards the boy- the complete opposite actually. He still saw the other as a friend and was merely curious on whether he knew why Marinette was hurt. It was just a hunch, of course.

Adrien's smile lessen a bit as he resumed looking down at his phone as though there was something important on his screen. "I've been okay. Could be better though." There came a short pause, one not long enough for Luka to fill in the gap. "Oh! Luka, have you seen Marinette somewhere? I'm sorry, I'm actually busy looking for her because, well, I haven't seen her in a long while, and I'm worried she's lost."

This was certainly not what he had expected at all, so the man continued the conversation. "Marinette? Yeah, I actually just took her home. Why? Was she supposed to be somewhere?"

At the sound of the good news, the blond gave a sigh of relief and set his phone to the side. "She's home? Thank god. Yeah, you see, we were supposed to be having dinner real soon but since we decided to meet up earlier, we were out chilling to pass the time. But then she suddenly just disappeared. The last thing I heard from her was that she needed to use the bathroom but then after that, nothing. After a few minutes of waiting for her, I figured something might've been wrong, so I ended up texting her multiple times to check up on her, but she never replied. I was so worried something had happened to her that I've spent the past few hours searching for her around the city. Ah, I'm just glad she's safe."

Luka raised an eyebrow as the details the other gave him almost didn't add up with what happened between him and Marinette. From what he knew, she had come to him because she wanted to hang out with him; she never mentioned she was supposed to have been with Adrien all the while. Then again, when she first saw her, she was in distress, and he could see she had been crying prior to seeing him. If what Adrien told him was true, and she did go to the bathroom, then what happened between her time in the bathroom and the time she met up with him?

This was more concerning than he thought.

However, the least he wanted was to bring up the fact that the girl had decided to come to him instead of returning back to the blond, so he figured he was going to cut some of the truth and put in a few white lies in order to not drag Marinette back into this mess. "Really? Sorry about that. I saw her while I was walking around, and she came up to me telling me she wasn't feeling well, so I walked her home. From the look of things, she did appear like she was sick, so that could be the reason why she didn't return to you or responded back to your texts. She just wanted to be home."

Adrien gave a frown at the sound of that, his eyes showing signs of disappointment. "She was that sick, huh? I wish I had known sooner, so I would have driven her back home and maybe even got her some medicine along the way. I feel stupid for not paying much attention to her. She was doing just fine earlier..." Sigh. "So much for our dinner plans...I'm just glad she's safe and is being taken care of now. Maybe I should pay her a visit and check up on her. Thanks for walking her home, Luka."

Just as the boy waved good-bye to the man and started to make his way down the sidewalk, something triggered inside of Luka upon realizing that perhaps allowing Adrien to go see Marinette wasn't a good idea, not because he was a tiny bit jealous of her fondness over him, but because he wasn't entirely sure she was in the right state of mind to be interacting with anyone at this point.

"Actually, Adrien-" The blond stopped as soon as the man called out to him. "-I think you should give it some time before you go see her. Like I said, she's really sick and maybe giving her some space would do her well."

Adrien's frown only grew but taking a moment to come to terms with what the other had said, he gave a nod and turned back around to walk the other way. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Hopefully I'll get a text from her or something soon. Oh well, guess I'll make my way home now. It was nice seeing you again, Luka." The boy waved one more time at the man as he now made his way back where he had come from, using his phone to text his driver to come pick him up.

Yet, for some crazy reason, Luka couldn't let him go, not so soon. He wanted to tell the other something, to drill something in his head, but he only knew how to do that without being straightforward through music and, considering he didn't have his guitar with him at the moment, he needed a way to get the other to listen to his words.

For Marinette's sake.

"Hold up, Adrien."

The blond stopped midtrack to look back at the blue tipped man yet again, a confused look on his face as Luka made the distance between them short. The more steps he took closer to the other, the more he felt like he really needed to let Adrien know a crucial piece of information.

"If you got the time, do you maybe wanna go back to my place? I got something I wanna show you."

* * *

OOC: Just to clear up some things since we are this far in the story, as a reminder, the characters are all their canon ages, meaning they are all under 18. Underage occurrences will happen, but there will be trigger warnings at the beginning of the chapter to let you all know. Again, they are all under 18 and some future topics might be triggering to some, but I will give a fair warning in advance. This is a mature story with mature themes. Just thought I'd remind ya'll. Thank you for all the support~ ^^


	24. Chapter 23

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 23_

_"In the game of life; Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, either way, we should always keep playing."_

-Lailah Gifty Akita

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

It took no time to get from point A to point B and, before long, the two teens arrived at the houseboat where the blue tipped man resided. There hadn't been much talk along the way aside from the blond musing over the fact that Luka could drive, and he shared his ideas on what type of car he'd like to have and when he hoped to learn how to drive. The man entertained the younger with his thoughts although his mind was elsewhere and wondered if bringing Adrien with him had been a good idea in the first place.

And for what?

So he can indirectly let the other know how he felt about him and Marinette?

How childish.

Luka lead the boy indoors, guiding him to his room, however, he made a quick pit stop as he reached his sister's room. The door was opened, which meant she was most likely inside, yet one could never know, so he politely reached over to give a small knock. He peeked slightly in order to spot the girl somewhere, and almost instantly did he see her laying on her bed looking at her phone.

"Hey, Jules."

Juleka removed her eyes from the screen for a bit to acknowledge her brother's presence before she went back to her social media. "I was wondering where you were. I would've texted you but eh. Figured it wasn't my business. You okay?"

"Yeah, no worries. I was called back to work after I got off because the big man wanted someone to help him with the register since everyone was busy."

"Gotcha."

"Mhmm. Also, where's Mom? I didn't see her up front."

"Mom went to the pawn shop to get something, I don't really remember what. She was in a hurry, I couldn't get most of what she was saying."

Halfway through her talk, the blond guest grew curious and wanted to take a look at his classmate and perhaps say 'hi' to her at the very least. It would be rude to not greet someone in their own home, so Adrien poked his head from the other side of Luka and gave the girl a small wave and a smile.

"Hey, Juleka."

"Sup." The idea of Adrien being at her place without Kitty Section being the reason behind his arrival completely slipped her mind for a tad until her mind snapped, and she jerked her head towards the boy who was somewhat hiding behind her brother. "Adrien? What are you doing here?"

"He's with me," Luka chimed in before the other could answer. "I found him walking down the street, and I figured I'd invite him over, you know, take advantage of the situation and show him some of the songs I've written."

Juleka looked from her brother over to her classmate, and the sight was so surreal, she was sure the smoothie she had earlier with Rose might've been spiked. There was no way she was actually seeing this, right? It was normal to see Marinette over since Luka had a thing for her and she guessed she also had a thing for him but Adrien? It was so uncalled for.

"Ummm...yeah sure."

The man flicked his tongue and winked at his sister before pulling himself out from her room and made his way down towards his. "Alright, I'll talk to you later, sis. Let me know if you need anything."

Adrien simply gave another wave at the girl before he followed behind the man, leaving a dumbfounded Juleka behind. A single thought was screaming in her head, a stupid one, but a thought nonetheless, so she went straight back to her phone to text Rose and let loose.

**[ Cutie ]:** Yo I think Luka's gay.

* * *

"You have such a cool room, Luka."

The blond was in awe once the two arrived at the man's room, the sight of a small, simple room with colorful designs all over- from the posters on the wall to the astonishing collection of plectrums. Yes, it was a downgrade from his own which was ten times larger, but something about it made it homey and comfortable which was something that meant a lot to Adrien. This place sure did feel like one where it would be nice to read or play music in Luka's case.

It just felt right.

The man shrugged at the compliment he received, reaching over for his prized possession- his glamorous guitar- and sat himself down upon his bed. "Thanks. Not really much going on here, but I try to make it somewhat a cozy space. This is my sacred palace of inspiration where the magic happens; gotta make it as compelling as possible. Still, bet your room is a lot cooler than mine."

Adrien chuckled, giving an unsure smile. "I guess. It does have a lot of things in it, but I don't really do much to be honest. The most I do is use my computer and play the piano. Kinda boring if you ask me."

Luka adjusted the strings of his guitar, making sure it was tuned correctly as he hummed in understandment. "Guess we all have our way of looking at certain things. That's what makes us all unique." _Dlang, dlang._ "Yeah, I almost forgot you played the piano. That's cool. I always liked the way the piano sounds, but I never really got myself into playing it. I find more interest in the guitar than any other instruments. Not saying that the piano sucks, absolutely not. All instruments are beautiful in their own special way. Anyway, sorry for blabbering, go ahead. Take a seat."

The talk between them was neutral, like any normal conversation would go between two friends. There was no ill intent anywhere and, in a way, it made the man feel a little less toxic for what he's about to do. Still, it was the only way he could express his emotions without coming off as rude. He wasn't doing anything bad for doing that, right?

"You know, I never mentioned this before, but I admire how passionate you are about music," Adrien took a seat on a lone chair a few feet away from the bed where the man rested on. "I like playing the piano, but I'm not super invested in it like you are with your guitar. I think it's cool that you love playing and, from what I hear when you play in Kitty Section, you're so good at it."

Such flattering remarks...

He sure did know how to make someone feel special.

No wonder Marinette fell in love with him.

Sigh.

'Heh. Thanks." Luka strummed his guitar a few times before getting himself ready for the performance he was about to do completely from improv. "I play from the heart, so honestly it's the best I can make my music sound. Speaking of such, I invited you over so you can have a listen to one of my many songs I've been writing. You wanna hear it?"

Those mint green eyes gleamed, not knowing what lyrics would be sung to him. "Yeah, totally!"

"Forgive me if it sounds bad. It's still in the works, but I wanted someone from the outside to give me their opinion. Alright, here it goes..."

. . .

_"Beautiful girl_

_Hasn't grown up yet_

_And she's wasting all her feelings on_

_A boy she's never met_

_Says that she is happy but is she lying?_

_Running and she's running again_

_She's trying to understand but she can't_

_Running and she's running again_

_She's crying by herself 'cause she can_

_Do you know her?_

_The girl that looks to you_

_And would you love her_

_The way that she loved you?_

_And would you be there_

_To help her push on through?_

_And would you know her_

_If she didn't know you?"_

. . .

The heartfelt notes filled the air with almost a melancholic tone, 'almost' if it weren't for the constant powerful strumming of the guitar. The sole audience that consisted of Adrien only was silent and respectfully listened to the music with an open mind. The sounds that reached his ears were soothing and yet fierce from the way the man was presenting the song to him. It captivated him; he wouldn't have minded if the song was longer than normal. He appreciated each and every musical force that crossed his way.

And yet, Luka was the complete opposite. Despite enjoying playing his own songs, this one held a personal touch, and it made it almost hard to fathom more of it. He felt as though he might end up revealing more than he should to someone he wasn't particularly close with, and that was a huge no. Sky blues occasionally looked up to the boy only to be disappointed at how happy he was, how joyful he was to be sitting there without realizing that this song had been about him and blue haired girl.

He wondered: did Marinette crossed his mind at all during this song?

Did she ever occupied Adrien's thoughts just as much as his own mind drowned of her very soul?

Did he even loved her?

_"Are we enough?_

_Do we measure up?"_

The final words came up unwillingly as the man allowed a bit of his mind to wander off and forget he wasn't alone. He wondered greatly if perhaps neither teen were good enough for her. Maybe it was because of them she was suffering; Maybe the blond was entirely oblivious to her feelings towards him; Maybe the man was too forceful to show his own feelings towards her; Maybe they were toxic to ever be good for her.

Maybe it was best she didn't deal with either of them.

Claps from one single source suddenly distracted his vines from wrapping themselves within his conflicted mind. He hadn't realized it until then that he had stopped playing and was receiving appreciation from the boy sitting across from him. Luka was in a standstill for a short while before he collected himself and set his guitar down, giving out his best fake smile he could muster up.

"I can't emphasize this enough. You are REALLY good." Adrien ceased his applause to be able to properly comment on the other's performance. "I like how authentic you are. All of those words and notes came from you. You did say something about the music you play coming from your heart, and I can definitely hear that. You're an amazing musician, Luka."

Such praise would please him, but he couldn't find it in himself to accept it. He felt so many things at the moment, and happiness was not one of them.

Luka sighed but resumed his facade, his eyes averting themselves to avoid eye contact. "Thanks. I appreciate it..." Not wanting to wait for the other to realize that something was off about him, he quickly reached over towards his nightstand to grab onto a small card and handed it over to the blond. "Here. I, uh, do occasional performances at this place. They're usually late at night and on the weekends, but I figured maybe you'd be interested to check it out or something."

_Whoa there, your tone is escalating. Keep it elevated._

Adrien's eyes widened in shock as he took the card given to him, taking time to read over as he spoke all at once. "You do performances? Other than Kitty Section? That's so cool! Yeah, I'll totally look into it and see if I can make it to one at least. Knowing how reclusive my father wants me to be, it might be a bit difficult but I'll see what I can do. Thanks!"

_Reason why I gave it to you in the first place; I doubt you'll ever make it._

"Yeah. My schedule is all over the place, so I can't really give you more info about when I'll be there. Best if you would just check the website on there and stuff." The man gave a sigh as he stood up to put away his guitar back inside its case. "Anyway, thanks for coming over. I just remembered I have something important to do, so I don't think I can give you company anymore. Sorry."

The boy stood up and gave a shake of his head. "It's fine. It was nice to have come here to listen to you play. Thanks for the invite. I should probably start heading home anyway. Don't think my driver is too fond of me being out for too long and not know exactly where I am."

And so Luka lead Adrien outside of his home, the two did a handshake as a way of saying good-bye, and they parted ways- the blond walked away as the blue tipped man returned back inside his house. As he was making his way back to his room, his sister was then the one to peek her head out of her room as she wished to communicate with the older sibling.

"Bringing a boy to your room just to sing him a song, that's pretty fucking gay if you ask me."

At the sly remark, the man magically was able to form a legit smirk on his lips as he then brought his sister into a chokehold to give him access to her head, messing her hair as he did. "Shut the fuck up."

"Hey! Not saying it's a bad thing. I support you 100%" Juleka freed herself from his grasp and gave her brother a wink. "I don't know how you're gonna let Marinette know you're stealing her man buuuut..."

_Her man._

He wasn't sure whether it would ever sit well with him.

But he knew his sister was only teasing him, so he decided not to get all moody. He simply gave her a playful punch on the arm before continuing his way over to his room, shutting the door behind him. And if there was one thing the girl knew for certain is that whenever her brother would go quiet, it meant there was something bothering him. Surely, it wasn't because she joked about him being gay- he wasn't the type of person to get offended by that. It had to be something else that pulled at his heart strings, but how was she to know what it was? After everything that has happened between Luka getting himself injured in an accidental fight he swore he was a part of, Juleka wasn't entirely sure what to think.

She would have to talk with him later.

* * *

OOC: The song used is **Pretty Face** by **PUBLIC**


	25. Chapter 24

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 24_

_"The whole world can become the enemy when you lose what you love."_

-Kristina McMorris

* * *

**TW: Strong Language/Minor Blood Mention**

* * *

How does she get herself tangled in all of this mess?

A day of treating herself after the events that had happened days prior wasn't enough to properly dispose of all the nasty critters lingering on her. She thought that taking a day off to focus on herself would be enough to help her gather her strength back, so she can face another tough week. And while that wasn't entirely false- she did manage to soothe herself and make her way back to school unlike her first breakdown which was a huge improvement- she was still uneasy to be around people that could potentially trigger her in some way. She was going to see _him_ again after what happened last weekend, and she wasn't fully prepared to see him again.

This wasn't normal.

She can't live a life where she feared everyone. She can't be walking around and become extremely sick by a minor inconvenience. The single day dedicated to herself had enlightened her enough to put the thought of therapy in her orbit. She had never really considered it, and only thought it deemed to people who had serious mental issues. But taking the time to think about her own emotions and the way she would think at times, perhaps she was one of those people who desperately needed it. Surely, it couldn't be normal to just be afraid of everything and want to isolate herself the minute something horribly wrong happens.

She needed help.

Bluebells eyes scanned the screen in her hand, re-reading the abundance of messages she had received from a certain individual she hadn't found the courage to reply back. If she had known this was how the other was going to react, she would've thought twice about leaving him behind. Utter shame was what she felt with every word she read as she labeled herself a bad person for completely ditching the boy who appeared to had been excited to spend time with her.

**[ Text ]**: I hope you feel better soon.

**[ Text ]:** Maybe we can go out to dinner some other time.

**[ Text ]:** If you'd like.

**[ Text ]:** I would like to.

Her sweet Adrien Agreste.

All because she felt envious about his fencing partner.

How low can she possibly get?

Luckily for her, she hadn't had much time to interact with the boy at school since right as first period started, there was a crime she needed to attend to, so she disappeared before any of the two could mutter a word to each other. While she was relieved for this sudden emergency, she did feel cheap for not coming clean to Adrien about her leaving him days ago. Hopefully after she was done, she can muster up enough confidence to go up to him and let him know everything that happened...or at least the things worth mentioning and not her dumb feelings.

But there was another person she needed to talk with too, and that was the man she ruined his day with her stupid breakdown: Luka. Ever since that happened, she hadn't messaged him to let him know she was okay nor did she receive anything from him all this time. Perhaps he was being polite as to give her her space which wouldn't be far fetched knowing how he was, which only made her feel worse because he has been nothing but good to her, and she went on to do the complete opposite.

How was he still her friend?

Luka was still a hundred times more approachable than Adrien though, so there was a higher chance of her texting him first before she could find it in herself to talk to the other. Either way, she was going to force herself to give the two males something as soon as possible instead of keeping them in the dark for something they had nothing to do with. They both actively didn't do any harm to her, but she had a twisted mind that made them her enemies for absolutely no reason.

Which is why maybe it was time she talked to her parents about therapy.

"Alright. The perimeters have been checked. Coast is clear."

The entrance of a new voice caused the girl to close her yo-yo and set it aside, lifting her head slightly to look over to the black cat who landed perfectly in front of her with a wide grin. She took in a deep breath to set herself back into the present before opening her mouth, standing erect on top of the building she had been residing in.

"Good job. Now we just wait until the police get here to fetch their newest jail members."

Ladybug and Chat Noir successfully accomplished a mission.

It hadn't been a scene of an akumatized victim this time- just a couple of bad guys committing a robbery that sadly had some casualties. The ambulance had arrived earlier to fetch these unfortunate souls whom all received a form of prayer from the red and black spotted heroine for their quick recovery. If only both heroes had gotten here sooner, then maybe there wouldn't have been such a mess. Then again, it wasn't necessarily their fault for not knowing sooner; it hadn't been until the news broke out in her school that alerted her. Considering how the store that was affected was near the campus, there had been a lockdown to prevent any students to get harm, and it was during that moment that the girl took the chance to transform and give the police a hand.

"Some people just don't learn, do they?" Chat Noir spoke as he leaned against his battle pole while looking down at the group of men that had been tied upside down on a lamp post by the magical yo-yo the girl held in her hand. "Nice job at wrapping them up like a Christmas gift, m'lady."

Ladybug gave a small smile towards her partner, but it quickly twisted into a frown the moment she felt tugging at her yo-yo from down below. "Can you all stop moving please? You're not going anywhere, so stop your efforts and just accept your fate. Don't worry, the police will get here soon."

"Fuck you, Ladybug!" One of the men shouted at her. "You can go suck a fat one!"

"Whoa, whoa!" The black cat growled as his green eyes narrowed at the one who dared disrespect his lady. "Don't talk to her like that! It's not her fault you losers were dumb enough to do some stupid shit."

"Fuck you too, you filthy cat!" The same man was fuming with seething anger, wiggling around more and more and making the whole group sway side to side. "You look like the type of bitch boy who loves to drool all over dicks!"

Such smack talk wasn't common, but it did happen, especially from those who are involved in crimes outside of Hawkmoth's control. The world without the villain was bad enough as it is, sadly enough. The two heroes were taken aback, Chat Noir more than Ladybug, and both reacted differently.

"Don't make me go down there and give you a beating!" The black cat hissed as he now tapped his pole against the ground in an impatient manner, his teeth almost looking like fangs from how furious he became.

"Now, now, kitty. Settle down." The girl used a hand to reach over to pat the other's head as a way to calm him down. "Don't mind them. They're just trying to get under your skin."

"Grrrr, I know, I just-"

"I bet your 'lady' is a slut under the sheets with all the men she sleeps with! A disgusting, fucking whore!"

"Alright, that's it!"

Chat Noir pounced down without hesitation and landed in front of the man that was bold enough to say such things. His body appeared to look larger than normal, almost as if he was an actual cat having his hair stand straight up. His teeth gritted, the sight of fangs now apparent, while green eyes narrowed in rage at the person who had solely insulted both of them. He batted his pole against the palm of his hand in a threatening manner while a haunting, quiet voice deeper than normal escaped his hungry mouth.

"You can talk shit about me all you want, but if you **_EVER_** disrespect Ladybug like that, you'll never see the light of day again."

Of course, this sort of behavior wasn't a surprise to the heroine since before there had been plenty of times the bad guys would treat her worse than an animal. But unlike her who simply brushed it off and ignored these futile attempts to stir her, the black cat took full offense and would act irrational out of her honor. It was sweet in a way, but there was no way she was going to let him get out of hand and hurt anyone. That wasn't part of a hero's code of conduct.

"Chat Noir, calm down." Her stern, demanding voice successfully reached the other's ears to have him back off but not return to her side on top of the building much to her dismay. She could still see he was fuming and any other word that might come from the fugitives would most likely trigger him. This only brought a sigh to leave her lips, however, then she caught sight of the other men that have been captured moving around more than usual. "Hey, what are you two doing?"

Her attention caused the two men to suddenly freeze, guilty written all over them. This made the girl curious as to what they could possibly be doing and considering she can't have her partner check for her without worrying he might snap, she decided to lowered herself down to their level as her grasp on her yo-yo became tighter.

"If you guys are trying to cut loose, don't bother. My yo-yo is unbreakable." Ladybug neared the two individuals who appeared terrified out of their mind with how white their faces became at her approach. A slight smirk touched her lips almost as if she was toying around with them, and her free hand reached out to rummage through their bodies. She had expected a knife or a weapon at the very least, knowing how these people used weapons to hurt others, but not a tiny plastic bag full of white powder. "What is this?"

The man from before- the suspected leader of the group- grunted when he turned to look over at what the heroine got her hands on and immediately went into hysterics as he shook the entire team, the string cocoon they were imprisoned in violently swaying side to side. This made Ladybug drop the bag in order to use both hands to grip onto her yo-yo to prevent any of the men escape.

"You idiots!" The leader growled. "I thought I told you to hide that shit before we headed out! Now we're more fucked than we already were! I guess I have to do everything myself!"

Before any hero could question what was going on, a sudden loud bang cracked the floor beneath Ladybug, powerful enough to make her lose balance and her grip on her yo-yo. The tangled mess of men were released for a split moment, but that was all they needed to rain vengeance upon their captives with a single action.

. . .

The deafening sound of a gunshot.

. . .

Ringing of the ears and the drumming of her heart were the only things she could hear. Everything was so out of place for her that she hadn't realized she was sitting on the ground with the group of men laying before her, her yo-yo still tightly wrapped around them. A couple of blinks of her eyes had her regain her motor skills as she yanked on the string to pull the men back to the lamp post and keep them hanging there. She could faintly hear the sirens of police cars almost as if they were under water, so distant and clouded. She turned around just as cops rushed to her side to handle the men, giving her access to finally release them and restore her yo-yo.

Things were still fuzzy to her that it wasn't until one of the cops signaled her to look over to the other side with words that were hard to hear. As she directed her attention towards where she had been motioned to, all sounds came to her in an overwhelming rush once her bluebell eyes caught sight of the black cat lying on the concrete ground with a pool of red liquid flowing all around him.

The world came to a standstill as numbness took control of every system she possessed; all she could see was black and white tainted with the bright crimson color of blood.

"Chat...Noir...?"


	26. Chapter 25

**_Moondust:_ **_Chapter 25_

_"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."_

-William Goldman

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

_'__Don't worry about me, my lady. I'll be fine.'_

Words and images haunted her through the lonesome night, so much they prevented her from getting a single ounce of sleep. She stared at her ceiling until the morning light shone through her window, and her alarm went off with that annoying sound. She nonchalantly reached for her phone to turn the noise off then sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes as an attempt of rejuvenating them for the day although she was certain it wouldn't work, and she'll end up collapsing some time later on.

The red creature hovered near her, giving out a big yawn as she rubbed her large eyes with her tiny hands. "Good morning, Marinette."

"Good morning, Tikki." The girl got out of bed and dragged her exhausted body over to her desk where she turned on the screen of her computer and started to type in a couple of words. By the sound of her tone and the way her body moved, the kwami could put two and two together to figure out that her owner wasn't actually having a good morning.

"Marinette..."

Tikki flew over towards the girl the second a news broadcast had been put on display, both characters were drawn to the pinpoints that were being made by a random reporter.

**'In other news, there have been no indicating of the whereabouts of the hero in black, Chat Noir, after witnesses have reported seeing him in utter distress as he had been one of the many victims of yesterday's robbery.'**

A phone camera footage was then shown on the screen, vaguely showing the events of the day prior although not much can be seen due to the quality. There were also censors to cover up the horrible view.

**'Here is video footage from a witness that managed to get what had occurred the moment after a gunshot had been heard. As it can been seen here, by the time the witness got to the scene, Chat Noir had already been laying on the ground covered in blood. However, before any more could be recorded, the heroine, Ladybug, carried him away and vanished from sight, not to be seen from again. It cannot be clear if whether that gunshot that had been heard hit Chat Noir but, from the sight of things, it would appear as though he was the unfortunate victim to such a terrible event. Before a forensics team could get a hold of a sample from the pool of blood left on the ground, it suddenly vanished under a wave of ladybugs that most likely came from Ladybug who's magical powers had also repaired any broken items the robbery may had conducted. The victims, however, were still sent to the hospital for further assistance which begs the question: is Ladybug not able to fully repair everything or-'**

Just then, the screen had been turned off, and the girl remained in her seat with her head hiding behind her hands. The crimson creature lowered herself down to be able to face her human and hoped she could say something that may better the situation.

"You weren't able to sleep, were you?"

* * *

Before any onlookers were able to get a hold of the gruesome sight, Ladybug forced herself to move from her frozen pose and carried the black cat as gently as she could in her arms. She had no yo-yo to help her glade through the city considering she needed both of her arms to carry Chat Noir, so she could only use her super jump to get from building to building. Her primary destination had been the hospital, however, the male in her arms sternly whispered out a detour that caused her to land in an alley closest to the hospital.

The stench of blood was strong- it nearly made her vomit.

Ladybug set her partner carefully against a wall, her hands now not knowing what to do. Bluebell eyes scanned his exterior and could only see the darken crimson staining the black clothing along with the opening where the bullet had pierced through. It wasn't large in comparison to what her mind conjured up, but it was still there and evident, skin and muscle showing.

She wasn't good with goreish things; this brought so much anxiety to her.

"Chat, you're bleeding. Oh my god, what do I do? Why didn't you let me take you to the hospital? Oh my god, fuck, sh-should I remove the bullet from you? I'll rip some of my outfit to-"

"Shh, it's okay..." The faint voice of the other made the girl still as she attentively listened to whatever he had to say. "Yeah...it hurts...a lot...but I'll be fine...my fault for having teased them, huh...?"

"Now is not the time for jokes. Please, let me take you to the hospital."

"You can't..." Chat Noir hissed at the slightest movement, making Ladybug wince along with him. "Or else...they'll figure out my identity...that's why I wanted you to drop me off...here...so I can go in as my civilian self...ahh...which reminds me...you should probably do something about...the blood I left behind...we wouldn't want anyone to use it..."

Despite being under so much pain, the black cat had more of functioning mind that the red and black heroine did which was something to admire. His suggestion did spark something in her mind, however, as she pulled out her yo-yo and used her Miraculous Ladybug in hopes that it will fix everything and heal her brave partner. As the whirl of ladybugs swarmed all over the affected area where the robbery had been and repaired every materialistic item along with going over to the crime scene where the blood had been erased from existence, the magical bugs did not surround the black cat and left him just as he was, still damaged, still wounded.

"Why didn't that work?" Ladybug looked down at her yo-yo that swallowed back the ladybugs then looked back up to the other who was appearing whiter by the minute. "I thought that would've worked..."

"Heh...I guess not all miracles can come true..." Chat Noir groaned as he positioned himself to sit a bit more comfortable although at the cost of more blood to ooze out. "That's fine...I wasn't expecting it to...that would've been too easy...heh...I'm sure you were able to fix up any other damages that had been dealt though...that's better than nothing...ugh..."

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes as the heroine crouched there in utter defeat, feeling worse than ever for not having the ability to heal her partner. Her heart was controlling her, however, so it completely ignored her mind that was reasoning with her to continue with doing what she had to do in order to get Chat the help he needed.

"I'm so sorry..."

Chat Noir was never one to see his lady in so much anguish, so he used a trembling, weak hand to reach up and caress her warm cheek, his blood stained thumb rubbing just under her eye. "Hey...don't cry on me now...even though it does make me happy...to know that you care that much...about me..." He removed his hand from her face for it used up that much of her energy to keep it there for long. "I don't want to rush you...but please go...you want me to be okay, right? I promise you...I'll make my way to the hospital as best as I can...it isn't far from here...I might get someone to help me along the way..."

One of her own blood soaked hands reached up to ghost over the exact place where the other had touched her, eventually tainting her face with his blood. She didn't mind being covered in vital fluid, but she did mind it still pouring out from the black cat. So in order to help him recover as quickly as possible, Ladybug stood up and twirled her yo-yo, reading herself for departure.

Before she could swing away, Chat Noir voiced out his final phrase before the two would part their separate ways and lord only knows how long they would see each other again. _"Don't worry about me, my lady. I'll be fine."_

Such a crystal clear sentence rung like a song in her ears which gave her the strength to believe in his words. She gave him a soft smile, her eyes as delicate as flowers, before wrapping her yo-yo towards a building and swung away from sight.

He'll be okay. He has to be.

* * *

Marinette gave a long sigh as she refused to look up towards the kwami who had hovered besides her to pat her lightly on her head. "Tikki, why does my Miraculous Ladybug not work for everything?"

It was a question that had come to surface from all the other ladybugs in the past, one that was difficult to answer for the response wasn't one that anyone wanted to hear. Normally, it would be voiced out whenever something as fatal as injuries can be on a person that the heroines cared about deeply, them wondering why their powers weren't strong enough to heal such heavy wounds. Many a times did the ladybugs believed they were invincible and if anything bad were to happen, they could simply just fix it with the power of Miraculous Ladybug. That always seemed to be the case whenever stuff happened, but there would be that one time where they had to come to terms with reality and not everything can be repaired by a simple twist of the wrist.

Ladybugs were never gods.

Tikki frowned and rested her head against her owner's own, putting together words inside her mind. "There is only so much the power of the ladybug miraculous can do; it is not and never has been able to fix everything. You can't always depend on it to mend every single thing. That is why it is most crucial for you to take the right steps to prevent something damaging to happen; that is why the ladybug miraculous is given to the most brilliant of minds, ones that can combine both magic and reality into one."

As noted, this wasn't something the girl had wanted to hear for it only made her feel as though it was all her fault that Chat Noir ended up the way that he was. To be honest, she had put much thought into it, and yes, it had been partially her fault.

Marinette stood up from her desk and went over to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day, not giving a response until a few seconds later. "If only I had taken away their weapons...god I'm so stupid."

She could sense her human was down in the dumps, not much to her surprise, but it was almost shocking that she was moving around instead of being stuck in her bed especially after such an incident. It only proved to her that Marinette had it in her to be Ladybug despite all the hardships she had to overcome. "You wouldn't had known it was going to happen, Marinette-"

"No, but it was obvious since they were still carrying." The girl got herself dressed up and made her way into the bathroom, putting a small pause in the conversation, then coming out to continue it. "I failed, and it put Chat Noir in danger. I won't ever forgive myself for it." She then brushed her hair and aided it into putting on her usual twintails. "But Tikki...why aren't you so concerned about this? Chat Noir got shot and who knows if he was able to make it to the hospital."

"Because I'm sure Plagg isn't going to let him die," the kwami made her way over towards the girl and gave her a big smile. "Remember, him and the person his miraculous is in charge of as intertwined as one whenever they transform much like you and I whenever we bring out Ladybug. Chat Noir is consisted of two beings, and one of them is an immortal kwami as stubborn as can be; I am most certain he isn't going to give up on his human. They both got affected by the bullet, but I am sure Plagg was able to reduce the damage given to his owner, so what you saw wasn't as bad as it actually was."

By the sound of that, Marinette felt a bit lighter yet still had a huge boulder bringing her down. If what Tikki said was true, which must be because she wasn't one to make stuff up, then Chat Noir was alive and on the road to recovery. At the same time, he wasn't fully healed which meant he was still in some sort of pain because she failed to secure the scene.

Always a downer, this one was.

"I guess that does make me feel a little better..." the girl said as she grabbed onto her backpack and purse. "...but I still blame myself for letting him get hurt in the first place."

"Even heroes are allowed to make mistakes," Tikki mused, positioning herself inside the purse that had been opened for her. "You are not supposed to be perfect. At the very least, I hope the thought of Chat Noir being okay is soothing enough to help you get through the day. I wouldn't want you to end up overthinking too much and make you sick because of it."

A small smile was miraculously able to reach her pink lips as a hand gently patted the round head of the red creature, causing her to giggle a tad. "You know me, Tikki, I worry too much. But I'll be fine...much how I hope Chat will be as well. Thank you."

With smiles shared among the two, they departed for yet another day of school.

* * *

OOC: Sorry for an uneventful chapter. Just a filler until I figure out how to plan out the rest of the story.


	27. Chapter 26

_**Moondust:** Chapter 26_

_"Each day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possible can."_

-Douglas Pagels

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

After nearly getting run over by two cars due to her lack of awareness, Marinette finally managed to make her way towards the school's grounds without a single injury to her person by some miracle. A huge yawn could only be given once she was on safer territory as she lazily made her way towards the entrance of the building. Little did she realize that among the other students that were also making their way inside, two of them happily chatted their way closer to her until one of them caught sight of the blue haired girl.

"Oh. My. God. Am I seeing what I'm seeing?" A taller girl with the remains of the sun kiss upon her skin rushed over to the tired girl and wrapped her arms tightly around her, startling Marinette to an extent. "Is the world going to end? How is it possible that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is here early? Have my prayers finally been answered?"

"Hey to you too, Alya," the blue girl mustered up a smile as the other released her from her deathening grasp although it had been quite appreciated.

Another individual joined the two, a hand raised to give a wave. "Sup Mari."

"Hey, Nino."

The trio was completed, and they all made their way inside the building towards their first period class. As per usual, Alya was the one to keep the vibe between them lively with her current interest, using her phone as further source material to support her claims. "Marinette, I was just talking to Nino about this, but you did hear about what happened with yesterday's incident, right?"

Of course. How can she possibly forget?

A sigh escaped her pink lips, a sign that it was rather too early for her to continue thinking about what she had just discussed with Tikki back in her place. But, obviously, her best friend had no clue about what happened backstage, so she simply went along and hoped that anything that would come out from Alya's mouth wouldn't be bad news. "Yeah...the school had a lockdown."

"Correct, but did you also know that while we were on a lockdown, Ladybug and Chat Noir were outside dealing with the situation?"

"Well, yeah. It's pretty obvious they would help out."

"But, did you also know that at some point, Chat Noir got shot and hasn't been seen since?" The sunkissed girl did a couple of taps on her phone before pulling up an article and showed it to Marinette who wasn't too keen into looking at it for she knew exactly what stories reporters would write about.

"Ummm...yes..."

"What do you think happened to him? Well, aside from him getting shot, of course." Alya passed her phone over to her boyfriend walking beside her, so he can have a look. "In my opinion, I'm sure he's fine. He is a superhero after all. I doubt a bullet is going to do him much harm...but I did watch the uncensored video they showed on the news and...he did look pretty bad...hope he's okay."

_You and me both, sister._

The blue girl gave a mixture of a sigh and a yawn, noticeably too exhausted to be pulled into something she lost sleep over. Luckily, after the talk she had with Tikki earlier, she felt a bit at ease about the situation and had a surprisingly amount of positivity in her being. Not saying she wasn't still worried- she worried an excessive amount- but she was capable of keeping herself calm enough to function properly.

Or at least as best as she could with the lack of rest.

"I hope...he's okay too..."

This fatigue did not go pass her best friend though as Alya refrained from discussing about their current topic to change it to one revolving around the smaller girl, squinting her eyes with a pout forming on her lips. "Something tells me someone didn't get enough sleep last night."

Marinette was thankful her worn out self was able to lure her best friend away from talking about Chat Noir; she much rather get scowled for her incompetence to close her eyes and sleep like a normal person than get dragged into a conversation she didn't want to be a part of. "Ahhh...maybe."

"Girl, girl, girl." The sunkissed girl shook her head and wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder in order to help guide her towards the classroom. "What kept you up this time? And please, for the love of all that is holy, don't say it's because of a boy because I swear I will murder all the boys in the world if I have to just to give you a good night's sleep."

"Damn, sucks to be a dude." Nino joked and received a small elbow poke to the side from his girlfriend who then ended up winking at him.

A weak giggle left the blue girl as the trio entered their assigned room where many of the other classmates were already inside, chatting up a storm. They made their way to their seats and resumed the conversation, the couple's attention solely on Marinette who was trying to figure out an excuse. Technically, she did stayed up at night because of a boy, but not in the way that Alya was probably thinking of.

"I, uh, guess I was startled from what happened yesterday. You know, sometimes stuff like that can, umm, keep someone up at night."

The suspicious look on her best friend's face was enough to let her know that she didn't believe her fully, however, before she could ask any more questions, Miss Bustier walked right in and positioned herself at the front of the class, telling everyone to get back to their seats and get ready for another lesson.

* * *

"His dad probably got mad at him for something stupid and kept him from coming to school today. I wouldn't be surprised."

"True. Guess his phone was taken up too or has he texted you?"

"Nah. Like I said, this isn't the first time his old man did something like this. Honestly, that dude needs to get whatever fat stick stuck up his ass out."

"What do you think, Marinette? ...Umm, Mari? Snap out of it, girl!"

"U-Ummm, what?"

The blue girl had been resting her head in the palm of her hand, dozing away just as class ended. She had been shaken awake by the sudden raise of voice on Alya's behalf along with a push to her arm. Bluebells eyes blinked several times to adjust themselves to the brightness of the classroom light before setting them on the sunkissed girl sitting next to her.

"You sure are tired, huh?"

Marinette gave out a large yawn at the reminder of her exhaustion and scratched her head, still drowsy from almost knocking out cold. "Maybe..."

Alya shook her head and began to gather her things, getting ready to head out for lunch. "You really must be that tired to just completely miss the fact that Adrien has been absent."

"Adrien isn't here?"

"Girl, do you see him anywhere? Yes, he isn't here, and he hasn't been here for a few periods now. Geez, I think it's best if you go home and take a nap instead. I'm actually worried you're gonna end up collapsing somewhere."

"Wait, really?" The blue girl stood up tall as she scanned the classroom, eyeing everyone as they were gathering their stuff to head out. But to her surprise, she didn't spot the blond boy among the others. "Adrien isn't here?"

Had she really been that zoned out to not realize something so crucial?

"Mari, you really should just go home and get some rest, my dude," Nino said, setting his headphones around his neck. "Me and Alya will help you catch up with notes. I'm worried about your lack of sleep too."

"Yeah, Marinette." Alya reached over to cup her best friend's cheeks in order to have her look at her directly in the eyes. "Promise me you'll get some rest once you get home, okay? For you to have so many restless nights isn't healthy for you."

While she completely understood the concern her friends were bringing up to surface, Marinette was still trying to wrap her mind around the idea of Adrien being absent. It simply appalled her that she couldn't control her tired mind and, honestly, she can't remember even coming to school in the first place. She was so caught up in her battle to stay awake that she completely dismissed reality altogether. Now that she gained a bit of that energy back for a short while, she was eager to gather as much information about, well, everything that was happening before another wave of weariness drowned her.

But before she could agree with the idea of perhaps sitting out on school just for this day, a sudden, loud thump erupted from her desk as a strong hand found its way to slam itself upon wood. It startled even the other two for no one had expected this newcomer to come out of nowhere.

"Okay, bitch, where is he?"

It was none other than the stuck up brat Chloe Bourgeois.

This grand appearance had been enough to give Marinette a few more bursts of energy, ready to defend her honor, yet she wasn't sure what the blonde's deal was. She hasn't spoken to her in weeks. "Umm...what do you mean, Chloe?"

A frustrated huff emitted from the queen bee as her perfectly polished fingernails tapped impatiently on her desk, those cold as ice eyes burning through her frame. "You know exactly what I mean, Dupain-Cheng. I know you've been spending too much time with my Adrien-kins, and you're so lucky that it was his idea to be with you or else I would've already gotten your head on a platter. But since he's not here today, I might as well take this opportunity to do so."

"Chloe, fuck off, will you?" Alya stepped in, ready as always to stand up for her best friend, especially from this insufferable beast.

"Shush it, you peasant. I'm not talking to you." The blonde brushed off the other and leaned in closer to focus her poison on her biggest rival yet. "Where are you keeping him? Knowing how grossly obsessed you are with him, I can only imagine all the horrible things you do to him when you two are alone. You must have him in a basement, right? All tied up and cold and hungry! That poor thing! Well, I'll have you know that he doesn't belong to you and-"

"Whoa, whoa. Chloe, please." Marinette took a step back in order to get her space and try to figure out where all of this nonsense was coming from. She knew Chloe was dumb, but what the fuck was she even saying anymore? "I honestly don't know what you're going on about. Are you accusing me of something so sinister as kidnapping Adrien?"

"Yes I am. Give him back."

She was too tired for this shit.

The blue girl rubbed her temples as she felt her head started to head and pound. "Chloe, you say some of the most stupidest things, and this one has to take the cake so far. What makes you think I did something like that?"

The blonde pulled out her phone just to flash it side to side without showing much as to why she had it being waved around. "Because I know you have been with him too much lately. I can see that look in your eye, that evil stare of hunger for him. You had to have him all to yourself, so that's why you stole him. Because he didn't come to school today, I called his place to make sure he was okay, and you know what they told me? 'He isn't here.' And I know they wouldn't be lying to me because why would they? My family and his are close, and we would never keep something important away from each other. So fess up."

_Maybe they didn't want you going over to see him because they know how annoying you are, you fucking dumb bitch._

Marinette gave a sigh as she stood up and carried her backpack over her shoulder along with her purse. 'I don't know what to tell you, Chloe. If your family is close with his, then maybe this is a talk you all should be having instead of dragging me into something that I'm clearly not a part of. Now if you excuse me, I have to go get lunch."

The blue girl signaled to Alya and Nino to follow her lead and head towards the exit but, before they could be completely gone from sight, they heard one final departing message from the fuming blonde.

"I swear to you, Dupain-Cheng, I will make you life a living hell if I find out you took my Adrien! I will notify the authorities, and they will shoot you down if you don't confess!"

The trio simply walked away and stepped out of the building towards a much better scenery with delectable air that seemed to cleanse the stupid bitch juice out from them.

"That is the most bizarre thing I ever heard come from that girl's mouth," Alya said as she shook her head in disbelief. "She called me a peasant. A fucking peasant. Like what's her deal?"

"Probably on her period or something," Nino joked which received laughs from the girls.

"Honestly, like what the fuck was that all about? Marinette kidnapping Adrien? The same girl that cries from accidentally stepping on a bug? Yeah, totally legit."

The blue girl giggled. "Sometimes I feel like Chloe's that bored to just want to start shit with me. Really, if she wanted to know where Adrien is, then she can go to his place and ask herself. To be honest though, I feel like whoever answered her on the phone was only trying to protect Adrien from her annoying ass. I don't blame them."

"Totally. Honestly, with all of this talk of Adrien being kidnapped by you, it made me think that maybe he's just sick and stayed home today or his dad was being a dickhead and prevented him from coming today as punishment. Those thoughts are way more reasonable that a freaking kidnapping. Jesus, I don't think I'll ever let Chloe live this one down."

"Yeah. Still, I hope he's doing okay whatever the reason. I can't believe I went through the day not knowing he wasn't around." A yawn found its way out of her mouth, once more reassuring everyone that perhaps it was best she were to take a nap. "I'm just so...tired..."

"We can tell," Alya mused up to her best friend and gave her a hug. "You go home and rest, okay? We'll continue making fun of Chloe some other time. Do you want us to walk you home? I don't want to sound like a mom, but I'm a little scared you might collapse in the middle of the street."

"Ahh, normally I would say no but with how I'm feeling right now, yeah, I think that's best. Thank you."

The trio started making their way over to the bakery, the two lovebirds talking among themselves as Marinette merely walked and listened to their conversation. Along the way, however, her phone signaled her she received a message or rather multiple messages which was something that was out of the ordinary. Normally, Alya would be the one to send her this many messages whenever she was excited about something but considering she was walking next to her without her phone in her hand, then something must be up.

The blue girl pulled out her phone and checked her messages, swiping over to the new conversation without realizing who it was at first glance.

**[ Text ]:** Hey

**[ Text ]:** Are you busy?

**[ Text ]:** I have a favor to ask.

**[ Text ]:** If you don't mind.

**!**

"Umm, thanks for walking me to my house, it really means a lot. I can take it from here, okay? Thanks, good bye!"

Marinette zoomed her way down the street, crossing a road without looking both ways which almost leads to her getting run over again, but she fortunately made it safely on the other side. This sudden reaction left Alya and Nino puzzled and frozen, not knowing what the fuck just happened.

"You know, lately I feel like whatever insanity I might've possessed has actually been sanity all along because I sure as hell don't act as crazy as people nowadays. Or am I missing something? Nino, is there something I'm missing?"

"Babe, I'm just as lost as you."


	28. Chapter 27

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 27_

_"A bridge of silver wings stretches from the dead ashes of an unforgiving nightmare to the jeweled vision of a life started anew."_

-Aberjhani

* * *

The crisp cool air was like a slap to the face compared to the warmer atmosphere outside. Goosebumps formed the minute she set foot inside the building but eventually dulled over as her body grew accustomed to the new temperature. Bluebell eyes scanned the area as the corrosive scent of disinfectant reached her nose in a whiff. There were quite a number of people walking to and fro, but her sights were set on the front desk just before her where she hoped she could gather what she needed in order to maneuver this place without trouble.

"Hello, umm, do you know where Adrien Agreste may be?"

After receiving messages from the said individual about his whereabouts, Marinette wasted no time in getting to the hospital where he resided. The boy explained that he wanted to see her and further expand on why he was in the hospital in the first place, so she quickly made a detour towards the building and away from her home. She was surprised by how she was able to make it without tripping on her own two feet considering she was tired beyond words, but perhaps it was the idea that Adrien was in the hospital that gave her the energy to keep her body awake.

How can she not worry about him?

The front desk attendant eyed the girl suspiciously but turned over to her computer screen to type out a couple of keys. "Are you related to him?"

"Umm, no?" She wasn't a familiar face around this part of town, so it completely slipped her mind that maybe it would be difficult to see the boy. Made her wonder if he realized the same time a little too late. Then again, maybe she could've just lied, but she felt it wouldn't be genuine in a situation like this.

"Then I'm sorry, miss, but only relatives can visit him. If someone from his family gives you-"

"Excuse me, are you here for Adrien?"

Just then, a nurse walked over to the girl, a clipboard tightly in her grasp as her green eyes glanced down through thin glasses. Marinette set her attention on the newcomer and gave a gentle nod, her own eyes almost pleading.

"I came just in time then. Please follow me." The nurse gave a tilt of her head towards the front desk coworker then gave a swift turn of the heels to start strolling away. The blue girl gave one last look over at the woman sitting at the desk who now gave her a look of confusion before she power walked behind the nurse. She was lead towards an elevator which resulted in a very awkward ride to the seventh floor until they finally reached the assigned room: 708.

"Mr. Agreste informed me you would be here and requested that I'd let you see him. I will come back later to retrieve you if you haven't left." The nurse gave a small bow of her head before making her leave, taking long strides almost like a lioness walking on her territory, then disappearing around a corner. Marinette was left alone with access to enter the room upon requested permission. She hadn't imagined the boy would've done such a thing, but she wasn't one to complain about it, so without much of a thought other than a deep breath, she grabbed the doorknob and pushed through.

Maybe it was her imagination, but it would appear as though the air inside the room was a lot colder than the air outside in the halls. It made her take a mental note on how freezing a hospital can actually be as she carefully walked deeper into the room. She wasn't sure why she was acting as though she was walking on thin ice, but she was slow and steady with her footwork, afraid she might disturb the calm and somewhat eerie atmosphere. Her eyes curiously went from one detail to the next, absorbing everything before her like a sponge, and it wasn't until she was done walking through the small hallway that lead from the entrance to the bed in the middle of the room that she came to a stop- her focus now on the inhabitant of this quiet place.

His eyes were closed though it looked more like he was resting his eyes than sleeping. The faint sunlight that managed to creep through the blinds shone on him, making his golden locks almost glitter. His skin wasn't far from illuminating either as it looked cleaner than ever, and the white sheets that covered his waist down made him appear like an angel resting. He looked so calm and peaceful, something that she rarely sees, and it almost looked like a scene from a fairy tale.

...If it wasn't for the fact that he was connected to a heart rate monitor along with a sack of blood hanging menacingly beside him.

She wasn't sure whether she made a noise or not, but the boy managed to sense her presence and opened his eyes, his gaze now directly at her. His lips turned upwards into a gentle smile as he then made an effort of adjusting himself from lying down to sitting at an angle with the help of the mechanical bed that he controlled with a push of a button. Once he felt like he was comfortable enough, he signaled over at the girl to come closer.

"Hey, Marinette. Nice to see you were able to make it."

She wasn't sure why, but she felt rather fearful. This was the last place she had expected Adrien to be, and it made her worry that something terrible has happened to him. Why else would there be that bag of blood just hanging there, leaking its contents into the boy?

"Of course." Marinette positioned herself on the chair beside the bed, scooting it closer to be able to be near the other. "I had to come as soon as possible. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry for the short notice. I was just able to use my phone without getting it taken away from me. People are real strict when it comes to that sort of stuff." Adrien showed his phone that was hidden between the two pillows that supported his back. "I knew my father wouldn't say anything to anyone about me, meaning no one but him and Nathalie would visit me, so I had to take matters into my own hands and invite my friends to come see me."

So this was the main reason why he didn't show up to school today...

A lot more gruesome than she had hoped for.

"I'm glad you thought of letting me know," Marinette fiddled with her fingers. "Have you told the others yet? We were all worried about you."

"Actually, no." The blond rubbed the back of his neck, his exposed arm now showing where the IV was hooked on him. "You're the first one I've told about me. I figured I could trust you to not tell anyone until I'm ready to handle everyone. I don't want to be overwhelmed, you know?"

The girl gave a nod, yet her attention was elsewhere as her eyes could not stop staring at those cables tangling around the boy before her. "I'm...I promise not to tell anyone." While, yes, she did feel special that Adrien chose her out of everyone he knew to know about him first, she was still more concerned about his well being. "But what happened to you? Yesterday you were doing just fine, right?"

Adrien gave a sigh between a weak smile as he avoided eye contact with the girl. "I was but...you know what happened yesterday. The whole robbery thing...yeah I, uh, did very stupid things...during the school lockdown, I actually left and went over to the area affected by the robbery, thinking I could help the civilians that were caught up in such a mess...heh, guess you can say I was trying to be a hero or something...silly, right? I did manage to get some people to safety but I, uh, well...I got hurt in the process."

Bluebell eyes widened at the story presented to her. The blond had been in the middle of the robbery? How did she not noticed him? Then again, how would she had known he'd be around when clearly her school had been put on lockdown? Yeah, she was the exception since she was Ladybug but for Adrien to leave school grounds in order to help civilians? What a brave soul he was, too good for this world. Still, it didn't make her feel any better about the fact that she had allowed the bad guys to lay a single finger on him.

Not just him, but the rest of the injured citizens she had failed to save whom were all probably in this exact same hospital.

"I'm so...sorry." She knew she had to keep her composure or else it would be suspicious if she showed signs of guilt. "How bad did they hurt you?"

"It's not your fault," the boy assured, reaching over to place a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Neither was it the bad guys' fault, in a sense. Like I said, I was careless and stupid. I guess there were some shattered pieces of glass on the ground that I failed to notice and ended up falling right on top of them. I did trip a couple of times while I was out and about, so it was only a matter of time before one of those trips would end up stabbing me. Literally. Some glass managed to pierce through my body pretty deep, but it's nothing to worry about now. The doctors were able to remove them with ease and stitch me back up."

Glass...that's a relief. Was it weird for her to think that? Considering what she knew about Chat Noir and how badly damaged he was, a few pieces of glass were nothing compared to a bullet. Still, the sight of the blood making its way inside his body gave her thoughts that it wasn't as simple as that.

Made her wonder about Chat's state of being.

"That's good...I guess..." Marinette always had trouble with words especially dire situation where she felt like she might end up saying the wrong thing. "What I meant to say was...I'm glad you're doing better. I'm still so sorry that happened to you. You're really brave to have gone out to save others."

"That's a lighter way to put it, yeah," Adrien smiled as he took his hand back. "I don't know. I guess I just wanted to help Ladybug and Chat Noir for once since they're always risking their lives to save the rest of us. I felt compelled to do something, you know? Still, kinda feel bad that maybe my doings only gave them more work..."

"No, of course not." The girl spoke too quickly but was able to refrain from revealing any more hints with the sight of the other's shocked face. "I mean...I'm sure your kindness is never seen as a burden to them. You were able to save people from getting hurt. That's heroic in it of itself."

The blond loosened his face to grant Marinette was warm smile, mint green eyes glowing so wonderfully with the help of the strands of sunlight oozing through cracks. "Thanks, Marinette. I sure hope so. The least I want is to cause more trouble." There came a short pause as the boy worded sentences in his mind before he spoke once more. "You know, there was another reason why I decided to invite you to come see me."

The girl blinked twice, her mind putting a break on their earlier conversation. She didn't say anything and patiently waited for an explanation to further emphasize on her being here. While she was still thinking about the events of yesterday with the mindset of Ladybug, she figured since she was here as Marinette, she should think as her and later drown herself with thoughts as the red and black spotted heroine.

Adrien then gave a small sigh as he fully placed his attention on the girl beside him. He stared at her for a short while, examining her every feature, before speaking. "I wanted to take some time alone to talk with you...about what happened last weekend. I was going to talk to you about it yesterday but, well, you know. In any case, I'm sorry for not paying close enough attention to you back then. If I had, then I would've known that you weren't feeling alright. I would've taken you back home instead and made sure you were okay. I was too caught up with everything, having way too much fun, that I completely forgot the reason why I was enjoying myself in the first place."

The boy positioned himself properly as his injuries were starting to bother him then resumed talking. "It was you, Marinette. You were nice enough to have graced me with your presence for a whole week. I don't think I ever had as much fun as I did when I spent time with you. And that day was one of the best yet..or at least was until I found out you were gone. I've been mentally punching myself for being so blind and not noticing you weren't feeling well. I'm so sorry."

She had expected to have a talk with him about what happened the day they were supposed to have dinner, especially after she was purposely ghosting him despite all the messages she kept receiving from him. It had been a part of the plan to have a one on one talk the day prior, but it never happened due to the awful events. And now with knowing that Adrien had gotten hurt, it had been so off putting to have this talk out of the blue. Marinette had almost completely forgotten about what had happened between them the second he texted her, saying he was at the hospital, because his well being was way more important than her silly drama.

Now was what she to say?

The girl returned the stare at the boy, their eyes connected for a short minute, before she looked away and bashfully rested a hand to the side of her face as a support for her suddenly heavy head. Of course, she knew she had to lie; she couldn't let him know the real reason why she left in the first place. It would make her sound so selfish and rude which were two adjectives she never wanted Adrien to label her as.

But wait...why did he say it was because she wasn't feeling well? Did he meant he knew why she was upset or was he thinking of something else?

"If it weren't for Luka, I wouldn't have known you were feeling sick." Like he read her mind, he gave her an answer. "While I was walking around looking for you, I bumped into him, and he told me he took you home after finding out you were sick. After that, I honestly felt so inconsiderate. How could I had ignored you like that?"

Luka was another person she needed to talk to, after all it was him she had a huge mental breakdown in front of...not to mention he was the one who also startled her with a shocking question. But nothing had been his fault, hell she was grateful for him to had lied to Adrien about her whereabouts. She had been sick in some sense, but perhaps the man used another form of illness to prevent more questions to surface. In any case, she was thankful for him, and she felt bad for ignoring him as well, especially when he had done so much for her.

"I'm glad he took care of you when I couldn't," Adrien continued, his gaze now down on the white sheets covering him. "He's a better friend than me. I really am sorry, Marinette. Please forgive me. You're one of my closest friends. I don't want to lose you. I promise you I'll be better."

It was almost rare to see the blond plead for forgiveness, more so when it was direct it to her. Normally, it would be the other way around since she was more prone to messing up than he was, but this opened her mind and made her realize that the boy was still human much like her, and he was bound to make mistakes. She had placed him on this pedestal, too high for anyone to reach that she completely forgot he was imperfect too.

Imperfectly perfect- that won't ever change.

Feeling her heart grow lighter from this well deserved disclosure, Marinette found it in herself to present a smile- one that held much admiration and relief that it almost seemed like the angels were singing. She reached out to place a gentle hand upon one of his own, grabbing his attention and having his eyes rest on her once more.

"I forgive you. But I'm at fault here too. I should've told you I wasn't feeling well. You couldn't have known. Next time, I promise to let you know when I'm not doing okay, and you promise to keep an eye out for me, okay? I'll admit, I did feel a bit...neglected when Kagami joined us. I just didn't want to disturb you guys with my illness. It wouldn't have been fair."

"Neglected?" By the sound of his voice, the word seemed to hit harder than she would've imagined. "I...I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I guess I got too excited to spend time with both you and Kagami that I got too busy trying to help her catch up with the things we did, so she can have fun too. God...I didn't know I was pushing you away. I'm so sorry. You still should've said something. The both of us would've done whatever we could to help you feel better and accepted again."

How could she not love him?

He was too sweet.

"I know. I was just...well...sick." It was the best she could say without revealing too much about the real reason why she was feeling sick in the first place. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad we had this talk. I feel a lot better now that we communicated. I guess we both still need to learn how to talk to one another, huh? It's like that talk we had back when we were at the wax museum..." At the sudden memory, she disgustingly remembered that cruel phrase that has haunted her to this day, but the present was too sweet for her to fall into despair, so she quickly discarded it and kept herself grounded.

"We sure do," Adrien gave a smile of his own as his free hand found its way to overlap the smaller one. "We even mentioned it before, and we both forgot. But hey, at least we came together this time and actually talked. Communication is really important, and we both should practice a bit more. What do you say?"

Seeing him smile, feeling his hand warm her own, even the circumstances they were in, things just felt right. She didn't stutter at all, she was honest with most of her feelings, she came to terms with her beloved, she did almost everything she wished she could've done in the past. If only she could keep this up, she and Adrien could become close. She still had a lot of work to do, no doubt, but this was a good first step towards something great.

"Of course. How about I start by saying that Chloe accused me of kidnapping you today?"


	29. Chapter 28

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 28_

_"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."_

-Aristotle

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

For about two days have the two kept the secret of the blond's whereabouts and been meeting in private to speak to each other- the blue haired girl making sure she entertained the boy as much as she could until he decided to reveal his location to the rest of his classmates. It had been just the two of them this whole time and surprisingly their meetings went smoothly without so much of the girl struggling to communicate. It was much like all those times she had been going out with Adrien to dinner where she felt strangely at ease talking with him, and she wasn't sure why these certain moments were different from all the other times she had spoken to him.

Well, she was fully aware that she couldn't put her own feelings before her when the boy was stuck in bed for who knows how long. His well being came first before anything else.

And yet, she would spend most of her time at home, having a hard time focusing on her homework because Adrien conquered her mind with both his health issues and his charming personality. She had never felt so close to her crush as much as before, for brief moments she had forgotten she had crazy sentiments for him. She had thought of him as a friend in need and nothing more.

Was she slowly handling her own emotions like a normal person?

The very next day after two days of staying silent, Adrien finally disclosed his whereabouts with the rest of the class, using a video call in order to do so. With the help of Marinette, he was able to broadcast his message on the big screen during first period whom were all relieved to hear he was okay. And because the blue girl had told the boy about the insane accusation she had gotten days prior, he forced the perpetrator, Chloe, to apologize for such a ridiculous scheme. Of course, Adrien had remained on the line in order for him to see with his own eyes the blonde give a full and firm apology to Marinette who accepted it, and everyone moved on from it afterwards- with Chloe being a bit sour and embarrassed about it.

Once the school day has come to an end, the usual trio consisting of Marinette, Alya, and Nino made their way outside the building, talking among themselves about the situation their rich boy model was in.

"Sucks that he's at the hospital," the boy spoke, adjusting his cap. "That was the least place I expected him to be."

"Yeah. Kind of an eye opener." The sunkissed girl checked her phone as she walked. "I'm surprised there wasn't anything about him on the news. Normally, stuff like this would have been talked about."

"You have to remember that Gabriel is Adrien's dad, so I figured he didn't want anyone to know about it. I mean, even now I feel like he risked getting caught when he finally told us. He seemed to be in a hurry to get it over with."

"True. Still, all of this came out of the blue. We gotta go see him."

"I'm totally with you, babe, but you heard what he said. We can't go see him until he can fully get permission from the old man. Imagine him seeing all of us grouped up in his room. Totally not cool."

"Ugh. His dad is the worst. But then that begs the question..." Alya set her phone aside in order to look over at her best friend who hadn't said anything and appeared to be daydreaming. "...how the hell did Marinette get a free pass to go see him?"

At the mention of her name, the blue girl snapped from her little, non-harmful out of body experience and turned over to hum at the other in the sense of a question, wondering and waiting to see what her friends wanted from her. "What about me?"

"Girl." The taller girl positioned herself in front of the smaller one, her stance fierce and strong as she prevented the other to make another step forward. Her golden eyes narrowed behind glass, that look quite recognizable by Marinette. "How were you able to go see Adrien before any one of us?"

Bluebell eyes blinked as she took in the question being asked then shyly giggled, a hand nervously rubbing the back of her neck. "Oh, umm, well he somehow thought to let me know first...?"

"Aha! I knew it! After all this time, you two have been secretly dating this whole time. How could I have been so blind? It's obvious. You two have been spending way too much time together, it was only a matter of time before you two finally tied the knot." Arms wrapped themselves around her best friend, pulling her close and tightly squeezing her. "I am so proud of you~!"

Marinette struggled under the hold but eventually gave up her resistance as she allowed Alya to squeeze every bit of life left in her. Between gasps of air, however, she tried her best to speak. "I...no...that's not it...at all...he just...randomly texted me...and I just...did what he told me...to do...ahhh, Alya...let me go...please..."

"How the fuck are you two not together already?" The sunkissed girl released the other and set her hands on her hips. "Either you two are keeping it secret or you really aren't his girlfriend. I swear on Nino's balls that if you have been dating him behind my back, I will make him ball less."

Nino hissed at the thought of his testicles being brutally ripped from him, covering his private area as he set his pleading eyes on the blue girl. "She isn't joking, you know."

Marinette chuckled slightly and waved a hand over her hand, dismissing the idea of her and Adrien ever being a thing which somehow didn't upset her as much it should've. "Aha, don't worry. I promise you you'd be the first one to know if I ever end up dating someone, okay? I can't keep that stuff away from you. Honestly, Adrien just texted me one day and asked me to go visit him. That's it. I'm still not sure why he asked me instead of you guys but, umm, yeah."

"Hmm. Alright. I beli-"

"Out of my way!"

Just then, the trip had been split apart by a storming ball of anger forcing herself through the group. The sight of a bright yellow blur sprinted its way down the steps and towards a black limousine, neither affected victim surprised by the sudden intrusion. Before the individual entered the vehicle, she turned back around with a cursed look as an accusing finger menacingly pointed towards them.

"I reserved my visit with Adrien for today, so none of you losers better show your faces. You will get kicked out by Jean-Patrick personally if you do. In fact, don't bother to visit him at all because I'm going to reserve every day until he gets discharged. Bye, losers!"

With that announcement, Chloe twirled back around and got inside her expensive car before driving off and disappearing around a corner. This left the trio baffled and somewhat bothered by the overprotective nature of the girl.

"What a bitch. If people somehow fall for her tactics and actually let her have Adrien all to herself, there's no way we'll be able to see him," Alya grumbled, her arms now crossed over her chest. "Knowing her and her 'daddy', I wouldn't be surprised if that actually were to happen."

An upsetting pout was formed on Marinette's pink lips as she too was perturbed by the selfish remark the blonde had made. Much like Alya, she wouldn't be surprised if they weren't allowed to see Adrien until he's released which was a big bummer because she enjoyed her time with the boy and wanted for the rest of her friends to have fun with him too. With this in mind, they had to come up with a Plan B if they hope to get anyone to visit the boy without Chloe ruining it.

What to do...

A light bulb suddenly flickered above the blue head.

Marinette jerked her head side to side in hopes of spotting her ideal person and was lucky enough to have seen her making her way down the stairs along with another blonde individual as they talked to each other. She scurried over towards them, leaving the couple behind without a warning, and politely inserted herself in their little bubble. She maneuvered her hands around as she spoke to them, both girls intrigued- the shortest one jumped in joy while the other long dark haired girl gave a subtle nod and a smile. After receiving both of the girls approval, the blue girl made her way back over to the duo she had left behind and granted them a smile.

"What was that about?" Alya asked, waving towards the other two girls a few feet away from them.

"I figured that since we might not be able to visit Adrien..." Marinette began her explanation as she motioned towards the others to join the trio. "...we might as well do something for him like a get well gift. And I thought maybe it would be nice to get Kitty Section back into practice and, well, write him a song."

"Isn't it a great idea?" The hyperactive but sweet Rose hopped in place. "We can write him a get well song that will surely give him the spirits to recover faster!"

"Yeah, I think it's pretty cool," The calmer of the two, Juleka, gave her input. "It's been a while since Kitty Section did something, and I think it'd be nice to make a song for him. I'm down."

The sunkissed girl, and the DJ blinked upon hearing such an idea to which none of them were against and joined in the excitement of the others.

"Wow, Marinette. That's actually a pretty good idea. I'm impressed." Alya gave a playful punch to her best friend's arm which resulted in a small tongue sticking out at her. "We have to tell the others."

"Oh, and you guys are invited over at my place anytime really," the goth girl spoke once more. "So if you guys want to, actually, we can head over to my house right now and start planning something at least."

"I'll fetch the others!" Nino took it upon himself to gather the remaining members of Kitty Section as he dashed back into the building, leaving the girls to continue talking among themselves as they slowly started to make their way down the street and towards Juleka's place.

It didn't take long before everyone in the class decided to join in on the fun and make their way to the boathouse in anticipation for gifting their fallen classmate something special. Along the way, Rose was eagerly sharing some lyrics of her own to her best friend Juleka who nodded at everything the shorter girl said while the others were coming up with different beats they could use for the song.

Marinette, however, was the one walking behind everyone else solo as she examined those excited faces of her fellow classmates and friends. She felt happy that everyone cared so much about Adrien to all decide to contribute to writing him a song. It had been a sudden idea that popped into her head, but she was glad they all agreed with her. It was the least they can do for the bedridden boy until he were to return to them. Of course, everyone was free to add to the get well package if they so desired; she was certain she would busy herself with making him a special macaroon along with something she could perhaps stitch up.

Those times they spent together, just the two of them, it was enough to motivate her to put all of her heart into her gifts.

And the day was going grand with everyone's positive energy fueling the air, but it wasn't until they all reached their destination that a lump formed in the back of Marinette's throat.

A black car came into sight, perfectly parked adjacent to the houseboat. No one but her paid much attention to it for she knew what that vehicle represented, and it almost made her mentally hit herself for forgetting such a crucial detail.

"Alright, everyone can chill here in the patio. Let me go fetch my brother." Juleka, without hesitation, invited them all to hang out as she made her way to the interior of the houseboat and disappeared behind the door.

Something inside of her had wished the door would've prevented the girl from crossing to the other side, her stomach dropping, but the blue head refrained from showing signs of her new worry. She wasn't scared or anything of that nature; she was just worried that things would become awkward, and she was no good with awkwardness.

It took almost no time for the purple tipped girl to return back, except this time she wasn't alone. She made her way back over to where Rose resided and announced to everyone that the whole crew was complete, and they can start planning which brought everyone to cheer and get right to work.

But while the rest of the world was swirling around her, Marinette's orbit was far away from everything else as she zoned into her own blackhole. Time seemed to have come to a halt as bluebell eyes were drawn to icy blue orbs from across the patio- distance serving nothing as a barrier between them.

This moment came to comparison to the instance much alike the sleepover they had weeks ago.

They swam in each other's oceans, almost like merpeople dancing in the cool water. Like sirens did they soon became as music was exchanged between waves that splashed between them until touch was acquired with the flow of the water bringing them closer together. It was as though a fantasy world outside of the reality they lived in engulfed the two where they were able to touch without actual physical contact.

Some form of magic was shared between them.

_Baby, you're like lightning in a bottle_

_I can't let you go now that I got it._

* * *

OOC: Sorry for this late chapter. This whole week has been me fighting sleep since I keep sleeping during the day and my motivation to write when I'm half awake isn't the best. Hopefully things will go better for me next week. I hope ya'll still enjoy this chapter.


	30. Chapter 29

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 29_

_"Words makes you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought."_

-E. Y. Harburg

* * *

**TW: Strong Language**

* * *

Much like the separation between the lyric writers and music producers, the two individuals that had a sudden string attached to them only for it to be torn in half whenever they parted ways and went to their respective had been peculiar what small interaction the two of them had when they laid eyes on each other, but they both figured it was best to move past that and focus on the task at hand. A wall had positioned itself between them, and the blue girl knew that it was her who had the key to break it.

"Earth to Marinette?"

The sound of snapping fingers aided in the blue girl to look away from across the patio where the man she had been sneakingly sending glances at was sitting as he strummed his guitar. Bluebell eyes set themselves upon her best friend who had been busy with coming up with words for the song although her face expressed concern. With knowing how far off she had been from the ground, Marinette can only guess it was because of her.

"Yeah?"

Alya shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know what's been going on with you lately. You always seem to be somewhere else."

"I'm sorry, Alya. I've just been...having a lot of things on my mind. You know how I get when that happens. I get distracted." The blue girl scooted over to be closer to the rest of her friends whom were also brainstorming ideas on what the song should be about, trying to blend in and hopefully get her brain from overthinking about things that shouldn't take up so much of her energy.

Being the mom figure that she is, the sunkissed girl wasn't entirely content with the answer given, so she pressed on. "You know, you can talk to me about anything. I am your best friend after all. You can trust me."

"I know. I will tell you once I can put my thoughts in order, okay?" Marinette peeked over towards the thin stack of paper that the others have combined in order to write down a series of poems- soon to be lyrics.

Knowing how stubborn the blue girl can be, Alya decided to drop it for now and trusted her friend to let her know what's going on some time later. If only the other can come to understand how much it made her uneasy whenever something was bothering her. She too moved closer to the blue girl and looked over her shoulder at the words scribbled in all different types of handwriting. "As I was saying, Marinette, since you're like close to Adrien, we figured you might have more of an idea on what to write about."

And how right her best friend was to think that. Of course she knew exactly what she wanted to say to the blond and then some. She wanted to let him know how much he means to her, how much it pained her to see him in such a state, how much she wished she had the power to heal him in an instant, how much she-

But she knew she had to refrain from making this all about herself. This was a class project after all, and not one of her poorly written love letters.

"Hmm...let's see."

Just then, a loud screech of guitar cut through the once calm atmosphere from across the patio where the other half of the group were busy trying to make music. This caught the attention of everyone in the lyric writing team who all jerked their heads over, especially Marinette who's eyes immediately set themselves upon the one responsible for such an eargasm sound. There he was, Luka, standing tall and proud in the middle of the others as he blasted away at his guitar, intelligently moving his fingers across strings like a pro with many years of experience*. A guitar solo it was, so fresh and clean that it left many with their mouths wide open. The blue girl who's eyes had refused to blink at all at this spectacle had been put in a trance, her heart almost going in rhythm to the notes the man spewed forth.

This sensation was much like falling in love at first sight.

Yet there was one individual that wasn't too pleased with what was going on, that being the sister of the mastermind, Juleka, who stood up and made her way over towards her brother who didn't seem to want to stop. As much as she appreciated his playing skills, now was not the time for him to get set off course. They needed to focus in order to get their goal reached before time ran out on them.

The goth girl slightly knocked the guitar off her brother's grip, not so much to cause it to fall, but enough to get him to come to an off note halt. This made the man give her a disappointed look yet a smile was still present on his lips.

"Alright, dickhead. Unless you're thinking of having a guitar solo somewhere in there, stop showing off and focus. Now I have to stay here and keep you in check, ugh."

A single strum was made before Luka sat down besides his bothered sister. "Sorry, Jules. I was just-"

"-showing off. Yes, I know. Goddamn, if it wasn't for you being my brother who can play the guitar like a freaking god, I'd be a little more pissed."

This made the blue tipped man chuckle as he leaned in to nuzzle his cheek against his sister's hair in an affectionate way before he planted a small kiss to the side of her head and went back to writing music with the others who were more intrigued to learn how he was able to play guitar so damn good.

From the other side, the lyric writers were still in awe at the short performance given, and it wasn't until Alya reached over to shut her best friend's gaping mouth that she riled everyone back to life. "Wow. Umm, yeah, that happened. Guys, let's uh, get back to work."

At the sound of her still shaken but authoritative voice, everyone shook their heads and followed her order. Everyone except Marinette was still in a hypnotic state, bluebell eyes never leaving Luka. From this point on, she knew it deep in her heart that she had to talk to him, to let him know everything that has happened to her during their time apart. She had to gain enough confidence to go up to him and face him head on.

And his short musical performance gave her just that.

"That's how a superhero learns to fly..."

"What was that, Marinette? That actually sounded like a good line for the song."

"Oh, umm..." The blue girl whirled herself back to the other only to be face to face with Alya who appeared to be curious about the words that slipped out of her mouth without control. Honestly, she wasn't sure why they came out or what could've triggered them to be produced, yet here she was with a sunkissed girl waiting for her to repeat what she had just said.

_That's how a superhero learns to fly._

* * *

After a long day of planning, the group of friends came to an agreement that it was time for a break and everyone should make their way back home. Everyone made their way out of the boathouse except for one individual who remained on the deck, anxiously twiddling her thumbs as she wondered whether it would be a good idea to go through with her plan. She knew she had to do it at some point, and what was better than the present?

"Heya, girl, you coming?" Alya called out to her best friend who remained indecisive upon the boathouse. "Me, you, and Nino can walk together."

"Oh, umm, no it's fine. I actually, umm, left something, so I'm gonna stay behind to look for it. You guys can go on ahead." Marinette waved towards her friends whom were all giving her confused looks but simply shrugged it off and walked away.

The blue girl bit her lip as she turned to look back over to the lone inhabitant of the patio which was Juleka, busy with picking up any items that might be considered a hazard if someone were to step on it. Considering how they lived in a messy place, there really wasn't much for her to clean up, so to say, so it wasn't long before she took notice of her friend just standing there without saying or doing much.

"Uh, hey, Marinette. You okay?"

Figuring this was her chance, she took in a deep breath and made the distance between the two shorter as Marinette walked over towards the goth girl. Her body language signaled high alert, bluebell eyes looking side to side. "Y-yeah, I just, umm, is it okay for me to talk with your brother for a little while?"

"Hey, Jules, have you seen where I put my plectrum?" Almost as if she had been overheard, the said individual appeared out of nowhere and stood beside his sister, his sky blues elsewhere as he scanned the area, looking for the object he claimed to have misplaced. It wasn't until then that he turned to look around only for his gaze to set itself upon the blue girl before him, not muttering a single word as the two locked eyes once more, sending chills down each other's spines.

"Didn't you leave it on top of the chest over there?" Juleka pointed over to where a brown, wooden chest rested, but her motion had gone unnoticed once she realized the two others were strangely staring at each other. A raised eyebrow was given, yet she figured that whatever tension uprose between them was something they had to take care of, so she gave herself a shrug before slipping away to check up on the chest she mentioned earlier to see whether or not she was right about the whereabouts of the plectrum.

It wasn't until the sight of dark hair leaving her peripheral vision that brought the blue girl to blink and return back to earth, jerking her head side to side to see where her friend had gone off too. Not wanting to seem rude, however, Marinette turned her attention back to the man standing in front of her, presenting awkwardness in his frame as he slightly averted his eyes and placed his hands inside his jacket's pockets.

There was no need for her to feel this nervous. She had never felt such a way before, so why start now?

The girl rubbed the back of her head, her feet shyly intertwining themselves. "Hey, Luka. I, umm, was wondering if you, umm, had time to talk."

Almost like the angels have blessed him with a voice that could make his knees weak, Luka immediately responded back with a more than surprised look on his face. "Yes, of course. What do you want to talk about?"

Bashfully was the girl as she then looked around the wide open space- an area not suited for a personal conversation- and reached out with a small hand to tug gently at the man's sleeve to urge him to go somewhere else.

Without having to say a single word, Luka enough exactly what Marinette was implying, so he gave her a nod and guided her towards the interior of the boathouse. They both made their way through the narrow hallway until they reached the familiar room where the man spent most of his time. He closed the door behind him before signaling to the girl to have a seat if she would like to which she did, right upon his bed.

There was a silence between the two, though short lived as the girl took in a deep breath and ventured forth to the castle that she needed to conquer with the strength of her sword. "Luka...I'm...sorry...for not talking to you. I'm sorry...for also doing what I did to you...the breakdown. I was having a bad day before I met up with you and...I couldn't hold it in anymore. Please ignore what happened. I don't want you to have to deal with it. I don't want that side of me to be something that comes to mind whenever you see me..."

"May I give you a hug?"

At the sound of the sudden request from the man, Marinette looked up to him, confusion and relief written on her face. She could tell by his eyes alone that there was so much he wanted to say, so much emotion he wanted to express, and his first step had been to give her a hug. She hadn't expected it, yet at the same time she had because it was Luka, a man who was extremely soft and caring. He had always made her feel safe and content in the past and, even now, that worry feeling she had before quickly vanished.

Magic.

A nod was given as permission for the other to do as he said and, without hesitation, the man rushed up to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her tiny body. The girl remained seated as her eyes widen at the action, but her facial expression rapidly soften the second the man's scent reached her nose- that wholehearty smell, so fragile yet strong- and his warmth engulfed her in a secure embrace.

Her thin arms found themselves to have a mind of their own as they reached up and over to position themselves around Luka much the same. Marinette closed her eyes and whisked herself into another state of mind where there was peace and tranquility. Everything else that worried her heart had been eliminated, at least for now, but that is as much as she could hope for. The present is now; nothing else mattered.

"Thank you, Luka."

* * *

OOC: Struggling with my usual uploading schedule but I am trying my best. -3-

Edit: Sorry guys I left a crucial part of this chapter. There's a * somewhere up there which was meant for a side note for me to write down on here. So that note is that the guitar solo that Luka is playing is The Song of the Golden Dragon by Estas Tonne. You should check him out. He's really good. ^^


	31. Chapter 30

**_Moondust:_** _Chapter 30_

_"I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough..."_

-Nicholas Sparks

* * *

The embrace lasted longer than both had anticipated though neither objected to it. To them, it was such a short amount of time in which they indulged in each other's warmth that- whether they wanted to admit it or not- they both missed. Although, the reason of the girl being here in the first place was to reveal her thoughts and emotions in order to clear any confusion and misfortune that might've reached the poor man who had nothing to do with it, yet here she was refusing to let go and wishfully thinking they could spend their time doing nothing but this until it was time for her to depart.

But that'd be too weird.

She had been the first one to let go- her brain poking at her that enough time has passed for her to stop hugging him. Marinette hesitated when she opened her eyes after a while due to the fact that she was face to face with the chest of the other, almost forgetting what was going on, until she slightly pulled away nervously and resumed back to her sitting position upon the man's bed. Her face was evidently red, and she was most certain Luka would be able to catch it from a mile away. Her face was prone to flush up to an extreme.

"A-ah, I'm sorry if I hugged you for too long I-"

"Shh." A single finger found its way over the girl's pink lips, silencing her for a moment for the man to be able to speak for himself as he knew how tongue tied Marinette can get sometimes. "It's okay. I enjoyed it a lot."

And just like that was Luka able to make the girl zip her mouth shut, her tiny body sitting almost in a defensive position. She wasn't at all feeling attacking for her to curl up a bit, in fact it was the other way around; she welcomed the affection she was given and expressed her gratitude by allowing herself to appear helpless in front of the other, so he may be able to give her more attention.

If he so pleased, of course.

"I've missed you, Marinette," Luka continued as he now took a seat besides the girl and looked at he directly in the eyes. "All this time, I was wondering whether you were okay. I gave you your space and waited for you to come back to me, but it was almost agonizing to not know what was going on with you. After what happened before, I couldn't help but worry about you."

A sigh was given in between words, those sky blues hiding behind closed eyelids.

"I'm not sure exactly what happened that day nor am I going to force you to tell me, but please hear me out. I've been regretting ever saying that stupid thing I told you while you weren't feeling well. It wasn't the right time, and I don't know what came to me. I guess I panicked and wanted to remove the pain from you as soon as possible. Not sure why I thought it'd be a good idea but..."

The man took another pause as he took the time to properly revised his thoughts in order to make sense of his own emotions.

"...you mentioned how you thought yourself as ugly because boys didn't like you. Again, I'm not sure where this came from, but dumb me thought I could prove to you that you are nowhere near ugly- that word doesn't exist among all the other adjectives used to describe you- and that there is one boy that likes you more than you know."

Gently, Luka placed a hand upon the girl's hand, his focus now directed back into those gorgeous bluebell eyes that sparked many songs in his head. All those scrapped pieces of paper that were spread across his room with words that jingled in his brain whenever he thought of her- those unfinished songs he wasn't sure whether to fully flesh them out, so he can one day sing them to her. Even now, he still has yet to create that perfect song that suits Marinette, and he promised himself he won't stop until he has found it. She, out of everyone, needed to hear this unknown special song that he hoped would change her life forever.

"I...asked you to be my girlfriend back then because I was desperate to ease that pain harming your heart. It was my stupid attempt to let you know how I feel about you but figures that I can express myself better through music than actual words. I'm sorry. I don't work well under pressure sometimes, and that moment was one I wasn't prepared for."

A thumb caressed the top of the girl's hand which sent chills all through her body. Her face did not cease from being red, and his touch only seemed to make it worse. She didn't feel uncomfortable, however, just a bit embarrassed from both the words he was speaking and the touches he was giving. She didn't want to come to a conclusion too soon though, although the sentences he was forming were enough evidence for her to think that perhaps, just maybe, Luka...

Nah.

"Marinette," the man's voice cracked through her thoughts, giving him her attention once more. "You're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life, one that stirred music to ring throughout my entire body with just a moment's glance. Every time I think of you, songs are written in my mind to emphasize how special you are. Like a guitar, I would stroke your strings carefully and help you show the world just how wonderful the music you produce is. You have become someone who words alone cannot describe, making it difficult for me to write you a song that perfectly suits you. You are your own song, and one that I greatly enjoy with all of my heart."

!

If, at some point in her short life, she died, then this would be heaven gracing her with one of its sweetest angels. Her very soul felt as though it had been ripped from her body, and she was merely floating in the abyss. But not alone, no, she was flying with another spirit, one that was bright like a star warming her with his light. He was the reason why she was able to spread wings and fly- without him she would've remained on the ground and only looked up at him soaring through the sky. But he treated her with the highest of gestures, that melodic voice reeling her in much like a siren would to an unsuspecting boat. He was the kindest, most caring siren, however, as his intentions were never bad, and he only wanted her to join him up on the sky where he spent his hours endlessly admiring her from afar. How could she refuse? He gave her wings, and immediately she took off towards him where he held her hands and helped her fly even higher. This dimension was warm and safe; she had no desire to leave.

. . .

Not knowing for how long she had been hallucinating about a world which did not exist, Marinette hadn't realized that Luka had been giving her a strange look, one of concern, until she snapped back to reality and proceeded with her usual nervous giggle to try and ease her embarrassment. It was then that she noticed his hand was no longer touching hers which brought a frown upon pink lips for a brief moment, only to return back to her bashful demeanour.

"Did I offend you, Marinette? I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

The man, oh how tender he was to be so bothered by the thought of her potentially being disturbed. She was far from it, in fact, but how was she to voice it properly?

"I-It's fine, Luka. Really, I, uh, it's just that, well, I'm not used to such...beautiful words. I'll admit you made my heart skip a beat, hehe."

Luka gave a sigh of relief as a smile found its way to his lips, his sky blues softening upon her image. "I'm glad. The least I want to do is hurt you again. I just wished I could've said that before rather than, well, you know." He gave her a small pat on her back as a way to soothe her. "I do mean everything I say, Marinette. Trust me, my words are more true than the demons that haunt your mind."

The more they spoke, the more her heart seem to flutter and her tummy do flips. She felt bad though because she hadn't said much, but she figured that maybe it was best to let the other speak and ease her into a state of mind where- much like he said- his words held more power than those pesky voices that taunted her. She had missed this reassurance during their slight separation; he always knew just what to say.

Marinette returned the smile and gave a nod, her own bluebell eyes sparkling at the mere sight of him. "Thank you, Luka. It means a lot. I'm glad that I found the courage to talk to you again. I've missed you too. Next time, I'll make sure to at least let you know I'm okay. I know how it feels to worry a lot about someone, and it wasn't fair of me to keep you in the dark."

"That'd be nice, thank you. Of course, like I said, you don't ever have to tell me anything if you don't want to. It's your choice." The man reached over to carefully rearrange strands of her hair that ended up being in awkward positions upon her head. "Let's hope there won't be a next time."

The girl nodded as she resumed to allow the other to gently touch her, his carefulness of moving bits of her hair almost like him patting her head which was a guilty pleasure of hers. She enjoyed having her hair played with and kind of wished she could ask the man to continue, but that would be weird and maybe now was not the right time.

However, much how she had been caught up with transporting herself to another world different from their own, Marintte found herself finding lyrics written across Luka's face, especially those blue hues that held music as far as the eye can see. It was true he was constantly thinking about music even when he wasn't playing, and she wondered what he was singing in his head right now. But what stuck out to her the most was the fact that some of those songs transmitted themselves onto her and, without even knowing it, she began to feel music surge through her veins.

_"When you've been fighting for it all your life_

_You've been struggling to make things right_

_That's how a superhero learns to fly_

_Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power."_

The lyrics oozed out of her with a soft, euphonic voice she didn't know she had it in her. She came to an abrupt stop, however, when her brain caught up on her sudden action. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked up and over towards the blue tipped man who sat beside her with the same facial expression, his mouth slightly agape.

"Marinette...did you...did you just sing?" Luka could not believe his ears; such a beautiful voice sprouted from the girl in front of him, one that made his own insides melt. She, alone, without trying, already had a gorgeous voice, but now that he had heard her sing out of the blue, he couldn't help but wish to hear more, to allow himself to drown in her angel-like voice.

But unlike him, the girl was embarrassed and covered her mouth, mentally punching herself for letting something like that slip from her. She wasn't anywhere near being as good of a singer as Luka was, so she felt humiliated that her own raspy voice had clogged up his ears. "I-I'm sorry. I just, umm, I thought of some lyrics to the song we're going to write for Adrien and, umm, it just came out like that, I don't know, I'm sorry. I know I sound awful. No matter how many times I sing to myself in the shower, I know I'm not good, so-"

"What are you talking about? You sound perfect." The man granted a laugh, his own cheeks flushed to a pink. "I never knew you could sing so wonderfully. For a moment, I thought my phone was emitting a song since that tends to happen whenever I forget I have it in my back pocket and sit on it." He reached to touch her hand once more. "It was so much better than that. It was you. I'm so happy to have been around to hear you sing. You're incredible, Marinette. Kind of makes me want to make a collab with you."

More compliments only seemed to make everything of her turn into goop, but she tried her best to keep it together and simply smile, an awkward but genuine one. "A-ah, you think? I mean, you sound a lot more perfect than I do. I just said some words in my plain voice and, umm, y-yeah, aha."

She was absolutely adorable, Luka could not emphasize that even more. But he knew if she pampered her too much, she might actually explode, so instead of continuing with praising her, he stood up from the bed and grabbed onto a random notebook that had been laying around along with a pen and returned back to sit next to the girl.

"I hope I can hear you sing more often. But for now, let's write down the lyrics you came up with. They sounded really good, and it would be a shame if we forget them."


End file.
